Maternal postpartum depression threatens the mother-child (dyad) relationship(attachment and bonding)and, as such, creates an environment for the infant that adversely affects the infant’s development. The processes for early brain development—neuronal migration, synapse formation,and pruning—are responsive to and directed by environment as well as genetics. For example, it is known that an infant living in a neglectful environment,which is common with depressed mothers, can have adverse changes visible on MRI of the brain.and
The primary care pediatrician, by virtue of having a longitudinal relationship with families, has a unique opportunity to identify maternal depression and help prevent untoward developmental and mental health outcomes for the infant and family.The article addresses the associated problems of, among many others, marital discord, breast feeding issues and difficulty managing chronic health conditions.
In addressing what pediatricians have to offer, the article speaks to the roles of screening and referral as well as support of the parent-child relationship within the context of a pediatric practice.
It is in this last role that I think pediatricians may have more to offer than is generally recognized, even by pediatricians themselves. This morning I was thinking about a successful intervention for PPD Peter Cooper described at the course I recently attended(see previous posts). The intervention was done in a South African peri-urban settlement with marked adverse socioeconomic circumstances. In this study:
Women were visited in their homes by previously untrained layThe intervention was successful in that it:
community workers who provided support and guidance in parenting. The purpose of the intervention was to promote sensitive and responsive parenting and secure infant attachment to the mother.
had a significant positive impact on the quality of the mother-infant relationship and on security of infant attachment, factors known to predict favourable child development.I was wondering to myself if the therapeutic action in this intervention was actually the relationship between these workers and the mothers. The mothers became very attached to these women, viewing them as a kind of grandmother figure. I think it likely that this relationship in turn fortified them in their efforts to be more fully emotionally available for their infants.
If this is in fact correct, then a pediatrician, by virtue of a long standing relationship with parents that is usually one of trust and respect, is in an ideal position to promote the mother-infant relationship.
I hope that with the AAP endorsement of this important issue will also come a recognition, cultivation and valuing of this role. This would involve changes not only in how pediatricians think about themselves, but also in more global changes in such areas as reimbursement and medical education. But that's for another blog post!!
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