The mother-baby bond: a systematic review about perinatal depression and child developmental disorders.

BACKGROUND Perinatal depression is a common mental disorder, which has become a significant public health concern, especially in the western developed countries where it has a prevalence of 10-20%. As a mental illness, it does not only concern the affected mother but also the child and family. AIM The aim of this review is to examine any developmental disorders in children of depressed mothers. METHODS Studies were identified from the following sources: PubMed (Database 2015-2021), Psycarticles (Database 2015-2021), and Psychinfo (Database 2015-2021). Of the 388 studies considered, 32 full-text articles have been analysed, and 22 have been included in the review. RESULTS Results suggest an increased risk of child emotional dysregulation and socio-emotional problems. Several studies reported an increased risk of cognitive, motor and language delay. Moreover, some studies suggest behaviour problems in preschool-age for the children of depressed mothers. CONCLUSIONS These evidences lead to the importance of including maternal mental health into primary health care and adequately addressing the dyad to treat depressed mothers and prevent consequences for child development.