Perinatal maternal depression, antidepressant use and infant sleep outcomes: exploring cross-lagged associations in a pregnancy cohort study

A range of factors including biological, socio-emotional, early parenting practices and cultural practices, and parental expectations can potentially influence the development of sleep patterns in infants. For many families there are challenges adjusting to infant sleep patterns and unsettled infants can adversely affect both parental and infant wellbeing. However, whether infant sleep patterns can influence the development of maternal depression remains unclear. In several studies, maternal depression has been implicated as an associated factor in infant sleep, but the true nature of the relationship between maternal mental health and infant sleep outcomes is yet to be fully understood.
Source: Journal of Affective Disorders - Category: Neurology Authors: Tags: Research paper Source Type: research