Around 25% of women experience postpartum depression within the first year of giving birth. Symptoms of the condition may influence parenting behaviors and the environment, resulting in less responsive, more stressed, or inconsistent care, which may in turn hamper a child's cognitive and emotional development.
In the current study, researchers examined links between maternal postpartum depression, children's executive function, and emotional overeating. To do so, they analyzed data from 297 families from a longitudinal birth cohort study in the US Midwest. Data included material self-reports of postpartum depression at six weeks, children's executive function at 24 months old, and emotional overeating at 48 months old. Altogther, 12% of mothers in the sample met the criteria for postpartum depression.
"We found that maternal postpartum depression at six weeks negatively influenced children's executive function with inhibition and emotional control at 24 months and overeating at 48 months," said lead author of the study, Samantha Iwinski, postdoctoral research associate in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies at the University of Illinois, in a press release.
Inhibition is defined as the ability to control one's attention, behaviors, and thoughts in the presence of potential distractions or temptations. Emotional control revolves around managing one's emotions to achieve goals, complete tasks, or control and direct behavior.
The researchers also found a significant direct link between postpartum depression and emotional overeating. They noted that higher levels of postpartum depression in mothers may be linked to lower executive function abilities- in this case, inhibition and emotional control, which may lead to higher levels of emotional overeating.
The findings' stress the need to address symptoms of postpartum depression in mothers, even though symptoms may not reach clinical levels' wrote the researchers in their study.
"By supporting the mother's mental health, we're really supporting the families, because of the long-term effects on children. It's important to have early identification of what might be happening in order to help families teach their children healthy strategies for coping with emotions, such as play, mindfulness, or even just talking about our feelings," said Iwinski.
"Teachers and other supportive adults can also participate in supporting children and families. For example, they can be looking at eating patterns, noticing how children might be reacting in certain situations, and if food might be a coping mechanism for them. They can then use that information to talk about other ways to deal with emotions and bring the family more into the conversation," she added.
Sources: EurekAlert, Eating Behaviors
