Table 8.
Characteristics of the studies included in the evaluation of infant sleep.
| First author’s name | Sociodemographic data: 1. Country 2. Maternal mean age 3. Gender of newborns |
Sample size | Design: 1. Study design 2. Time of follow-up 3. Number of groups 4. Description of groups |
Tool used to assess PPD | Prevalence of PPD | Outcomes | Main results |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gress-Smith104 | USA Mean age: 26.5 ± 5.59 years Gender of newborns: not given NB: very low-income population |
132 | Cohort study 9 months Three groups: - No PPD - Significant levels of depressive symptoms (CES-D ⩾ 16) - Severe depressive symptoms (CES-D ⩾ 24) |
CES-D | 5 months: 33% of depressive symptoms; 12% of severe
depressive symptoms 9 months: 38% of depressive symptoms; 18% of severe depressive symptoms |
Infant weight; infant health; infant sleep | Higher depressive symptoms at 5 months were associated with increased infant night-time awakenings at 9 months (p = 0.001). A multinomial logistic regression analysis was performed to investigate the relationship between maternal depressive symptoms at 5 months and infant sleep at 9 months while controlling for infant sleep at 5 months. Maternal depressive symptoms at 5 months significantly predicted more problematic infant sleep at 9 months (B = 0.03, p = 0.01). |
| Tavares Pinheiro108 | Brazil Mean age: 26.2 ± 6.6 years Gender of newborns: not given |
366 | Cohort study 10 months Two groups: - PPD - No PPD |
EPDS (mild = 10–12; severe ⩾ 13) |
22.7% in direct PP 24.6% at 12 months |
Infant sleep disorders | The risk of sleep problems for children whose mothers presented with a new onset and severe depression at 12 months was higher than the risks observed among children born to mildly depressed mothers. When chronicity was considered, an additional risk of 2.20 (95% CI = 0.62, 7.86) was observed for mild and chronically depressed mothers, which was even higher (2.58; 95% CI = 1.15, 5.63) for chronic and severe cases. Moreover, a linear trend toward a higher risk of sleep problems as the severity and chronicity of the mother’s depressive symptoms increased could be observed (p = 0.05). |
| Zajicek-Farber130 | USA Age (years): Depressed: 22.3 ± 4.3 Nondepressed: 22.6 ± 3.9 Female babies: 54.0% |
134 | Cohort study 18 months Two groups: - PPD - No PPD |
EPDS (Depressed = EPDS ⩾ 11) PHQ |
55.2% | Infant health practices | Significantly fewer children of depressed women were placed in the recommended back-to-sleep position compared to children of women who had never experienced depression (68.9% vs 85.0%). The RR of sleeping in a “wrong” position was two times greater for children of depressed women than those of women who were never depressed. |
PPD: postpartum depression; CES-D: Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale; EPDS: Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale; PHQ: Patient Health Questionnaire; CI: confidence interval; RR: risk ratio.