Maternal anxiety disorders predict excessive infant crying: a prospective longitudinal study
Research output: Contribution to journal › Research article › Contributed › peer-review
Contributors
Abstract
PURPOSE: To prospectively examine relations between maternal DSM-IV-TR anxiety and depressive disorders and excessive infant crying.
METHODS: Based on the prospective longitudinal Maternal Anxiety in Relation to Infant Development Study, n=306 expectant mothers were enrolled during early pregnancy and repeatedly interviewed until 16 months post partum. Lifetime and prospective information on maternal anxiety and depressive disorders was assessed via standardised diagnostic interviews (Composite International Diagnostic Interview for Women). Excessive crying (crying for ≥3 h per day on ≥3 days per week for ≥3 weeks) was assessed via Baby-DIPS. During the first 16 months after delivery, n=286 mother-infant dyads were available and included in the analyses.
RESULTS: Excessive crying was reported by n=29 mothers (10.1%). Infants of mothers with anxiety disorders prior to pregnancy were at higher risk for excessive crying than infants of mothers without any anxiety disorder prior to pregnancy (OR=2.54, 95% CI 1.11 to 5.78, p=0.027). Risk was even increased when considering additionally incident anxiety disorders until delivery (OR=3.02, 95% CI 1.25 to 7.32, p=0.014) and until 16 months post partum (OR=2.87, 95% CI 1.13 to 7.28, p=0.027). Associations remained stable when adjusting for sociodemographic and perinatal covariates. Maternal depressive disorders prior to pregnancy were not significantly associated with excessive crying in this sample.
IMPLICATIONS: Maternal lifetime and incident anxiety disorders revealed to be a robust predictor for excessive crying. Thus, early identification and monitoring of women with anxiety disorders is important to identify mother-infant dyads at risk for excessive crying.
Details
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 800-6 |
Number of pages | 7 |
Journal | Archives of disease in childhood : a peer review journal for health professionals and researchers covering conception to adolescence |
Volume | 99 |
Issue number | 9 |
Publication status | Published - Sept 2014 |
Peer-reviewed | Yes |
External IDs
Scopus | 84906728158 |
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ORCID | /0000-0001-7646-8265/work/142232654 |
Keywords
Keywords
- Adult, Anxiety Disorders/psychology, Child Development, Crying/psychology, Depressive Disorder/psychology, Female, Germany, Humans, Infant, Infant, Newborn, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Mother-Child Relations/psychology, Mothers/psychology, Pregnancy, Pregnancy Complications/psychology, Prospective Studies, Stress, Psychological