Mothers’ depression ‘can affect babies’

CHILDREN of women who suffer severe post-natal depression can suffer speech and language difficulties and find it difficult to socialise in later life if they are not given support by the wider family and if their mother’s health problems aren’t treated, a leading psychiatrist has said.

Speaking at a seminar on perinatal mental health services at the Adelaide and Meath National Children’s Hospital, UCD Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fiona McNicholas said that post partum depression can affect the male baby in particular.

“Research has shown that post partum depression has cognitive effects, especially on boys.

“Baby boys can suffer speech and language delay while baby girls’ socialisation can be disturbed. The infants themselves can also develop a depressed state,” she said.

“Studies have been completed on three-month-old babies whom they showed photos of a depressed, withdrawn mother not showing emotion.

“The babies, whose mothers were not suffering from depression, were upset and fearful.

“However, amongst the babies whose mothers had been diagnosed with depression, there was little reaction. There wasn’t a negative response. Defences were being put on their emotions already,” she said.

Speaking on child and adolescent depression, she said that it is “common enough” and that 3%-8% of adolescents suffer from clinical depression while 2% of children develop depression.

“Depression in childhood is more linked to discord in the home or stress in the home. The mother’s mental health is also a factor but the home environment is the main trigger. Depression in children can also lead to behavioural problems when they are older and so it is vital that it is detected. In adolescents, there is often a genetic element in their depression,” she admitted.

Professor McNicholas said that clinical depression amongst teenagers “isn’t the regular emotional uncertainty that adolescents can experience”.

“This is a pervasive depression with constant low mood and disinterest in life. The key thing is to recognise it as early as possible, to encourage the child to think differently, to minimise stress in their life, don’t harass them about exams etc. Be positive about them and teach them to be positive.

“Try and alter a negative view of themselves and their future. Talking therapy is the solution and medication only in the most serious of cases,” Prof McNicholas said.

- Post Natal Depression Ireland website: www. pnd.ie or call 021 4923162 on Tuesdays and Thursdays between 10am and 2pm. An answering service is available outside these hours.

- Samaritans: 1850 60 90 90 www.samaritans.org