Is very low infant birth weight a predictor for a five-year course of depression in parents? A latent growth curve model

TY - JOUR

T1 - Is very low infant birth weight a predictor for a five-year course of depression in parents? A latent growth curve model

AU - Barkmann, Claus

AU - Helle, Nadine

AU - Bindt, Carola

N1 - Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

PY - 2018/3/15

Y1 - 2018/3/15

N2 - BACKGROUND: A very low birth weight (VLBW) is considered as a significant risk factor for early-onset developmental problems in infants, but is also discussed as a potential risk factor for the development of depressive symptoms in affected parents.METHODS: In this study, the 5-year courses of maternal and paternal depression with VLBW and term born infants (n = 250 families) are modeled and predicted by factors existing at the time of birth.RESULTS: The dyadic trajectories of depression could be best described by five classes (I no depression, II minor maternal depression, III increasing dyadic depression, IV significant maternal depression, V highly depressed mothers). VLBW was a significant predictor for the course of parental depression - even under control of preexisting psychiatric disorders and other confounders. Interaction effects and a dose-response relationship were not existent.LIMITATIONS: Class IV and V had to be merged for the prediction analysis, a missing bias could not be ruled out, and families with a low birth weight (between 2500 and 1500g) were not included.CONCLUSIONS: The results are well in line with what is known from studies so far, suggesting that maternal and paternal trajectories of depression show distinctable patterns which are associated with a VLBW. An early screening of mothers and fathers of a VLBW infant seems reasonable to prevent the development of a depression in parents and further difficulties for the child.

AB - BACKGROUND: A very low birth weight (VLBW) is considered as a significant risk factor for early-onset developmental problems in infants, but is also discussed as a potential risk factor for the development of depressive symptoms in affected parents.METHODS: In this study, the 5-year courses of maternal and paternal depression with VLBW and term born infants (n = 250 families) are modeled and predicted by factors existing at the time of birth.RESULTS: The dyadic trajectories of depression could be best described by five classes (I no depression, II minor maternal depression, III increasing dyadic depression, IV significant maternal depression, V highly depressed mothers). VLBW was a significant predictor for the course of parental depression - even under control of preexisting psychiatric disorders and other confounders. Interaction effects and a dose-response relationship were not existent.LIMITATIONS: Class IV and V had to be merged for the prediction analysis, a missing bias could not be ruled out, and families with a low birth weight (between 2500 and 1500g) were not included.CONCLUSIONS: The results are well in line with what is known from studies so far, suggesting that maternal and paternal trajectories of depression show distinctable patterns which are associated with a VLBW. An early screening of mothers and fathers of a VLBW infant seems reasonable to prevent the development of a depression in parents and further difficulties for the child.

KW - Adult

KW - Depression

KW - Female

KW - Humans

KW - Infant, Newborn

KW - Infant, Very Low Birth Weight

KW - Male

KW - Parents

KW - Risk Factors

KW - Journal Article

KW - Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

U2 - 10.1016/j.jad.2017.12.020

DO - 10.1016/j.jad.2017.12.020

M3 - SCORING: Journal article

C2 - 29331702

VL - 229

SP - 415

EP - 420

JO - J AFFECT DISORDERS

JF - J AFFECT DISORDERS

SN - 0165-0327

ER -