How Does Maternal Depression Affect Children?
Depression during pregnancy or after childbirth is a more common reality than we would like to imagine. However, in addition, many women continue with this condition for years, influencing their work of creation. Knowing how maternal depression affects children is the first step in taking action.
Many of the symptoms of depression are easily confused with the normal experiences of pregnancy and postpartum. Therefore, there is a great risk that many women will not be diagnosed in time and the severity of the disease will worsen.
However, the consequences of depression do not only affect the woman who suffers from it, as they are also transferred to their children. Since early childhood is a fundamental stage of development, early experiences can continue to influence later stages of life.
How does maternal depression affect children?
Since pregnancy, children of depressed mothers have a higher heart rate. There is an increased risk of premature births and underweight newborns.
Later on, these babies are less active and less sensitive to facial and vocal expressions. Also, they have a higher level of stress hormones than the rest of the kids.
On the other hand, these little ones are more likely to develop mood disorders and have difficulties in adapting on social and academic levels. It is also likely that maternal depression influences the child’s IQ and the quality of their health status. In particular, they are also at greater risk of developing depression throughout their lives.
However, not all children of depressed mothers show these difficulties. This tells us that the relationship is not direct and univocal, but that there are certain mediating factors.
How does this influence occur?
The quality of the bond
Establishing a proper bonding relationship is vital to your little one’s well-being. However, depressed mothers have difficulties in correctly understanding their children’s needs and interpreting their communications. This results in less mother-child synchrony and creates great confusion in the baby.
Whether because the mother does not meet the child’s needs or because she responds to them incongruously, the connection that is established is inconsistent. It is this inappropriate bond that will bring emotional consequences for the little one. But it is depression that prevents the mother from understanding and responding correctly to the baby’s signals.
marital conflicts
Another area that is most relevant in transferring consequences to children is the relationship between parents. When one of the couple has an illness such as depression, their life together is inevitably affected.
In these cases, the positive communication between them is reduced to almost a minimum, while fights and reprimands predominate. Furthermore, in general, conflict resolution is not implemented and, therefore, the situation gets worse. Observing parental conflict considerably affects the child’s functioning in several areas.
Inappropriate stimulus
Finally, mothers who suffer from depression are less involved in child rearing. Due to their own apathy and despondency, they provide their children with fewer experiences and learning materials, and spend less time stimulating them sensory and intellectually.
Furthermore, they constitute an inappropriate role model for the child. The little one grows up observing some behavior patterns in which discouragement, lack of interest and vitality stand out.
To a greater or lesser extent, the continued presence of this model as you grow up will have an impact on your own personality.
Prevent maternal depression from affecting children
If we want to avoid this situation, the first thing we have to do is to discuss depression with the mother. It’s important that we stay alert for any symptoms, especially after childbirth, and we shouldn’t be afraid to ask for help either.
However, in addition to receiving professional treatment, we can try to minimize the impact on children through mediating factors. Providing children with encouragement and response to their needs and seeking to provide a positive home environment will help to mitigate the influence of depression on their upbringing.
