Maternal depression and controlling behavior associated with increased stress response ...( Philadelphia PA September 18 2007 T...),Health

Philadelphia, PA, September 18, 2007 Teenage pregnancy is widely recognized to be a major public health concern. These young mothers face many life challenges and they have an increased risk for becoming depressed. How might the behavior of these young mothers be related to later psychiatric or behavioral problems in some of their offspring" A new study being published in Biological Psychiatry on September 15th suggests an association between a history of depression in the mothers, a particular style of mothering, maternal overcontrol, and increased stress reactivity of their infants.

Azar and colleagues measured the cortisol levels of infants both before and after a brief mild stressor. They found that a lifetime history of major depression in the mother and a maternal pattern of intrusive and overstimulating behavior toward their infant (maternal overcontrol) were associated with an increased release of the stress hormone, cortisol, in the infants following the mild stress exposure. The infants of mothers with a history of depression had also had lower pre-stress cortisol levels. Also, there was a correlation in the cortisol levels between mothers and their infants.

These findings add to our small but growing body of knowledge on neurobiological differences in stress responses between infants of depressed and non-depressed mothers, noted Dr. Azar. John H. Krystal, M.D., Editor of Biological Psychiatry and affiliated with both Yale University School of Medicine and the VA Connecticut Healthcare System, adds, Teenage mothers and their offspring are both, in their own ways, vulnerable. As a result, teenage pregnancy is thought to be a setting for preventative educational programs that might help teenagers better cope with their upcoming challenges. He also points out that, We do not yet know the long-term consequences of maternal overcontrol, but should it prove to have negative long-term effects, it is conceivable that this type of b
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