Anxiety or depression in pregnancy affects children in later life

Babies born to depressed and anxious mothers are more likely to become children who suffer from emotional and behavioural problems in later life.

According to findings by Dr Edward Barker at Birkbeck and researchers at King’s College London, the earlier a child encounters depression increases the likelihood of them becoming affected by it.

The findings are based on data from 3,300 mothers and their children in the University of Bristol Children of the 90s study.

In the research data, 14 per cent of mothers suffered from clinical depression and 17 per cent experienced high levels of anxiety whilst they were pregnant.

Researchers found that children of these mothers had emotional and behavioural problems and verbal difficulties around the ages of seven and eight.

The anxious mothers were twice as likely as those who were depressed to have children with ‘internalizing problems’ such as depression. The depressed mothers had children who were more likely to have ‘externalizing difficulties’ such as conduct disorder, ADHD, oppositional defiant disorder and  ADHD.

Dr Barker said: ‘The findings of our study suggest that both depression and anxiety, as well as risks associated to psychopathology in the mother, are top level priorities for interventions that seek to decrease maladjustment in children.’