Prenatal and Postnatal Maternal Mental Health and School-Age Child Development: A Systematic Review

One in six children entering school experiences developmental delay. Maternal mental health represents one of the earliest, modifiable influences in a child’s life. The objective of the review was to evaluate the association between maternal mental health and school-age child development, and we hyp...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Maternal and child health journal 2014-09, Vol.18 (7), p.1728-1741
Main Authors: Kingston, Dawn, Tough, Suzanne
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Age
Analysis
Brain research
Care and treatment
Child
Child Development
Child, Preschool
Children
Children & youth
Childrens health
Cognition Disorders - epidemiology
Content analysis
Developed countries
Extraction (Chemistry)
Female
Gynecology
Health problems
Humans
Industrialized nations
Infant, Newborn
Male
Maternal and Child Health
Medicine
Medicine & Public Health
Mental disorders
Mental Disorders - epidemiology
Mental Health
Meta-analysis
Mothers - psychology
Pediatrics
Population Economics
Postpartum period
Pregnancy
Public Health
Sociology
Stress, Psychological - epidemiology
Systematic review
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Summary:One in six children entering school experiences developmental delay. Maternal mental health represents one of the earliest, modifiable influences in a child’s life. The objective of the review was to evaluate the association between maternal mental health and school-age child development, and we hypothesized there would be a negative association. Five databases were searched (Embase, CINAHL, Eric, PsycInfo, Medline). Key journals and reference lists were hand-searched. Two reviewers assessed studies based on inclusion criteria: (1) the exposure was any form of maternal mental health occurring during pregnancy or postpartum periods; (2) the outcome was child development (>48 months to 8 years); (3) the study recruited participants from developed countries; and (4) publication was in English between January, 1990 and December, 2012. Disagreements were resolved by consensus. Study quality was assessed by two reviewers using the Scottish Intercollegiate Guideline Network and disagreements were resolved by consensus. Data extraction was conducted by one reviewer using standardized forms. Maternal mental health problems in pregnancy and/or the postpartum period increased the likelihood that school-age children experienced suboptimal global, behavioral, cognitive, and socio-emotional development. The findings highlight the need for maternal mental health assessment during the prenatal, postnatal, and early childhood periods.
ISSN:1092-7875
1573-6628
DOI:10.1007/s10995-013-1418-3