School of Psycho-Education, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada.
School Environment Research Group, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023 Nov 27;20(23):7117. doi: 10.3390/ijerph20237117.
Maternal health represents an important predictor of child development; yet it often goes unnoticed during pediatric visits. Previous work suggests that mental state affects parenting. The relationship between infant exposure to maternal depressive symptoms suggests conflicting findings on physical growth. Body mass index (BMI) has not been rigorously examined across development. Using a prospective-longitudinal birth cohort of 2120 infants (50.7% boys), we estimated the prospective relationship between symptoms of maternal depressive symptoms at 5 months postpartum and later BMI in typically developing children. We hypothesized that maternal depressive symptom severity would predict later BMI through to adolescence. Mothers self-reported depressive symptoms at 5 months. Child BMI was measured by a trained research assistant at ages 6, 8, 10, 13, and 15 years. We estimated a series of sex-stratified regressions in which BMI was linearly regressed on maternal symptoms, while controlling for potential pre-existing/concurrent individual and family confounding factors. Boys born to mothers with more severe depressive symptoms at age 5 months had a significantly lower BMI than other boys at subsequent ages. There were no such associations observed for girls. Maternal depressive symptoms were prospectively associated with later BMI for sons and not daughters, predicting risk of faltering in growth through to adolescence. Health practitioners should routinely assess maternal psychological functioning during pediatric visits to optimize parent and child flourishment.
产妇健康是儿童发育的重要预测因素，但在儿科就诊时往往被忽视。先前的研究表明，精神状态会影响育儿方式。婴儿暴露于产妇抑郁症状之间的关系表明，在体格生长方面存在相互矛盾的发现。体重指数（BMI）在整个发育过程中尚未得到严格检查。我们使用了一个 2120 名婴儿的前瞻性纵向出生队列（50.7%为男孩），估计了母亲产后 5 个月抑郁症状与典型发育儿童后期 BMI 之间的前瞻性关系。我们假设，母亲抑郁症状的严重程度将通过青春期预测后期 BMI。母亲在 5 个月时自我报告抑郁症状。由经过培训的研究助理在 6、8、10、13 和 15 岁时测量儿童 BMI。我们估计了一系列性别分层回归，其中 BMI 与母亲的症状呈线性回归，同时控制了潜在的预先存在/并发的个体和家庭混杂因素。与其他男孩相比，5 个月时患有更严重抑郁症状的母亲所生的男孩在随后的年龄中 BMI 明显较低。对于女孩，没有观察到这种关联。母亲的抑郁症状与儿子后期的 BMI 呈前瞻性相关，而与女儿无关，这预示着通过青春期生长发育迟缓的风险。医疗保健从业者在儿科就诊时应定期评估产妇的心理功能，以优化父母和儿童的健康成长。
