Effect of maternal depressed mood during pregnancy or postpartum on emotional or behavioral disorders of offspring: a Meta-analysis

Xuemei LIN; Jianhui YANG; Peishan CHEN; Yuejun HUANG

ABSTRACT

Objective:

To evaluate the effect of maternal depressed mood at pregnancy and postpartum on the risk of emotional or behavioral disorders of offspring by meta-analysis.

Methods:

The following Mesh words and free words were searched in 7 online databases, including the PubMed, Embase, Web of Knowledge, PsycINFO, Cochrane, WanFang databases and China National Knowledge Infrastructure from January 1, 2000 to October 31, 2020 " maternal" AND " depression" AND " child OR offspring" AND " neuropsychology" . According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, case-control and cohort studies reporting the effect of maternal depressed mood during pregnancy or postpartum on the risk of emotional or behavioral disorders of offspring were reviewed. Meta-analysis was performed by RevMan 5.3.

Results:

Fourteen studies involving 3 914 in the case group and 17 016 in the control group were included.Children whose mother with depressed mood during pregnancy or postpartum had 2.03 times risk of emotional or behavioral disorders than those whose mothers without depressed mood ( OR=2.03, 95% CI 1.55-2.65). Both depressed mood at pregnancy and postpartum could increase the incidence of emotional or behavioral disorders in children, but there was no significant difference between these two periods ( Z=-0.371, 95% CI 0.796-1.168). Moreover, the effect of maternal depressed mood on emotional or behavioral disorders in offspring could last to the preschool and school period, and the children in the school period may have higher incidence of emotional or behavioral disorders than those during the preschool period ( Z=-2.340, 95% CI 0.643-0.962).

Conclusions:

Maternal depressed mood can increase the incidence of emotional or behavioral disorders in offspring, which are long-lasting and do not decrease with age.