Infantile colic, prolonged crying and maternal postnatal depression

  1. Torstein Vik1,2,
  2. Veit Grote3,
  3. Joauqín Escribano4,
  4. Jerzy Socha5,
  5. Elvira Verduci6,
  6. Michaela Fritsch2,
  7. Clotilde Carlier7,
  8. Rüdiger von Kries3,
  9. Berthold Koletzko2,
  10. for the European Childhood Obesity Trial Study Group†

Article first published online: 28 APR 2009

DOI: 10.1111/j.1651-2227.2009.01317.x

Issue

Acta Paediatrica

Acta Paediatrica

Volume 98, Issue 8, pages 1344–1348, August 2009

Additional Information

How to Cite

Vik, T., Grote, V., Escribano, J., Socha, J., Verduci, E., Fritsch, M., Carlier, C., Kries, R. v., Koletzko, B. and for the European Childhood Obesity Trial Study Group (2009), Infantile colic, prolonged crying and maternal postnatal depression. Acta Paediatrica, 98: 1344–1348. doi: 10.1111/j.1651-2227.2009.01317.x

Author Information

  1. 1

    Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway

  2. 2

    Dr. von Hauner Children's Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich, Germany

  3. 3

    Institute of Social Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich, Germany

  4. 4

    Pediatric Unit, School of Medicine, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Reus, Spain

  5. 5

    Children's Memorial Health Institute, Warsaw, Poland

  6. 6

    Department of Pediatrics, San Paolo Hospital, University of Milan, Italy

  7. 7

    Université Libre de Bruxelles, Bruxelles, Belgium

  1. †

    The members of The European Childhood Obesity Trial Study Group: are given in the ‡.

*Berthold Koletzko, MD, PhD, Professor, Division of Metabolic Diseases and Nutritional Medicine, Dr. von Hauner Children's Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich, Lindwurmstr. 4, D-80337 Muenchen, Germany. Tel: +49-89-5160-2826 | Fax: +49-89-5160-3336 | Email: Berthold.Koletzko@med.uni-muenchen.de

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 1 JUL 2009
  2. Article first published online: 28 APR 2009
  3. Received 4 February 2009; accepted: 23 March 2009.

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Keywords:

  • Colic;
  • Depression;
  • Infant;
  • Maternal;
  • Postnatal

Abstract

Aim:  To study if infant crying is associated with maternal postnatal depression.

Methods:  Data from 1015 mothers and their children participating in a prospective European multicentre study were analysed. Infantile colic and prolonged crying were defined as excessive crying as reported by the mothers 2 and 6 months after delivery, and at the same time the mothers completed the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS).

Results:  In cross-sectional analyses, infant crying was associated with high EPDS scores both 2 (OR: 4.4; 95% CI: 2.4–8.2) and 6 months postpartum (OR: 10.8; 95% CI: 4.3–26.9). More than one-third of the others of infants with prolonged crying had high EPDS scores 6 months postpartum. Longitudinal analyses showed that mothers of infants with colic had increased odds of having high EPDS scores 6 months after delivery even if crying had resolved (OR: 3.7; 95% CI: 1.4–10.1).

Conclusion: Both infantile colic and prolonged crying were associated with high maternal depression scores. Most noteworthy, infantile colic at 2 months of age was associated with high maternal depression scores 4 months later.

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