Edward D. Barker, PhD, Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, and Department of Psychological Science, Birkbeck, University of London, UK; Natasha Kirkham, PhD, Department of Psychological Science, Birkbeck, University of London, UK; Jane Ng, MD, Department of Physiology, University of Alberta, Canada; Sarah K. G. Jensen, MSc, Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, and Department of Psychological Science, Birkbeck, University of London, UK.
Br J Psychiatry. 2013 Dec;203(6):417-21. doi: 10.1192/bjp.bp.113.129486. Epub 2013 Oct 10.
Little is currently known about how maternal depression symptoms and unhealthy nutrition during pregnancy may developmentally interrelate to negatively affect child cognitive function.
To test whether prenatal maternal depression symptoms predict poor prenatal nutrition, and whether this in turn prospectively associates with reduced postnatal child cognitive function.
In 6979 mother-offspring pairs participating in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) in the UK, maternal depression symptoms were assessed five times between 18 weeks gestation and 33 months old. Maternal reports of the nutritional environment were assessed at 32 weeks gestation and 47 months old, and child cognitive function was assessed at age 8 years.
During gestation, higher depressive symptoms were related to lower levels of healthy nutrition and higher levels of unhealthy nutrition, each of which in turn was prospectively associated with reduced cognitive function. These results were robust to postnatal depression symptoms and nutrition, as well as a range of potential prenatal and postnatal confounds (i.e. poverty, teenage mother, low maternal education, parity, birth complications, substance use, criminal lifestyle, partner cruelty towards mother).
Prenatal interventions aimed at the well-being of children of parents with depression should consider targeting the nutritional environment.
目前对于孕期母体抑郁症状和不健康营养如何相互关联发展，从而对儿童认知功能产生负面影响知之甚少。
检验孕期母体抑郁症状是否预示着不良的孕期营养，以及这种情况是否会对儿童出生后的认知功能产生负面影响。
在英国阿冯纵向研究父母与子女（ALSPAC）中，6979 对母婴对参加了研究，在妊娠 18 周和 33 个月期间对母体抑郁症状进行了五次评估。在妊娠 32 周和 47 个月时评估了母体对营养环境的报告，在 8 岁时评估了儿童的认知功能。
妊娠期间，较高的抑郁症状与较低水平的健康营养和较高水平的不健康营养相关，而这两者又都与认知功能降低相关。这些结果在考虑了产后抑郁症状和营养因素，以及一系列潜在的产前和产后混杂因素（即贫困、未成年母亲、低母亲教育、多胎、分娩并发症、药物使用、犯罪行为、伴侣对母亲的虐待）后仍然稳健。
针对患有抑郁症父母的孩子的幸福感的产前干预措施，应考虑针对营养环境。
