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Using a Murine Model of Psychosocial Stress in Pregnancy as a Translationally Relevant Paradigm for Psychiatric Disorders in Mothers and Infants
06:39

Using a Murine Model of Psychosocial Stress in Pregnancy as a Translationally Relevant Paradigm for Psychiatric Disorders in Mothers and Infants

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Paternal depressive symptoms during pregnancy are related to excessive infant crying

Mijke P van den Berg1, Jan van der Ende, Alfons A M Crijnen

  • 1Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Erasmus Medical Center, Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, Netherlands.

Pediatrics
|July 1, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Paternal depression during pregnancy increases the risk of excessive infant crying. This finding highlights the importance of paternal mental health in infant well-being.

Area of Science:

  • Perinatal mental health
  • Infant behavior
  • Parental influence on child development

Background:

  • Excessive infant crying, or colic, is a common parental stressor.
  • Maternal depression is a known risk factor for excessive infant crying.
  • The impact of paternal depression on infant crying remains understudied.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between paternal depressive symptoms during pregnancy and excessive infant crying.
  • To determine if paternal depression is an independent risk factor for infantile colic.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective, population-based study of 4426 infants.
  • Maternal and paternal depressive symptoms assessed at 20 weeks gestation using the Brief Symptom Inventory.
  • Excessive crying defined by Wessel's criteria (infant crying >3 hours/day for >3 days/week).

Main Results:

  • Paternal depressive symptoms were significantly associated with an increased risk of excessive infant crying.
  • Each standard deviation increase in paternal depressive symptoms correlated with a 1.29-fold higher risk of excessive crying (95% CI: 1.09-1.52), after adjusting for maternal depression and confounders.

Conclusions:

  • Paternal depressive symptoms during pregnancy may represent a significant risk factor for excessive infant crying.
  • Potential mechanisms include genetic transmission, direct paternal-infant interaction, or indirect effects via marital and familial stressors.
Abstract

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