Objective

Extend analyses of maternal mental health and infant growth in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) to children through age eight years, and broaden analyses to cognitive and psychosocial outcomes.

Design

Community-based longitudinal cohort study in Ethiopia, India, Peru and Vietnam. Surveys and anthropometric assessments were carried out when the children were approximately ages 1, 5 and 8 years. Risk of maternal common mental disorders (rCMDs) was assessed with the Self-Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ)-20 (score ≥8).

Main outcome measures

Child stunting and underweight (Z score ≤2 of height and weight for age), and <20th centile for: cognitive development (Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test), and the psychosocial outcomes self pride and life satisfaction.

Results

A high rate of rCMD, stunting and underweight was seen in the cohorts. After adjusting for confounders, significant associations were found between maternal rCMDs and growth variables in the first year of life, with persistence to age 8 years in India and Vietnam, but not in the other countries. India and Vietnam also showed significant associations between rCMDs and lower cognitive development. After adjustment, rCMD was associated with low life satisfaction in Ethiopia but not in the other cohorts.

Conclusions

Associations of maternal rCMD in the first year of life with child outcomes varied across the study cohorts and, in some cases, persisted across the first 8 years of life of the child, and included growth, cognitive development and psychosocial domains.

  Download Maternal mental health, and child growth and development, in four low-income and middle-income countries, Bennett M, Schott W, Krutikova S, Behrman JR, Journal of  Epidemiology and  Community Health 2016;70:168-173.