Clinical study of postnatal depression. -The impact on child development-

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Recently, evidence has accumulated supporting an association between postnatal depression and certain indices of child development.We conducted a longitudinal study to identify the impact of postnatal maternal depression on child development. The investigation was conducted in two groups ; one group consisted of women who attended the obstetric clinic (n=1208, Clinic group), and the other was the women who received health guidance from public health nurses of a municipal health center (n=200, Center group). During the late phase of pregnancy, pregnant women agreed to take the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory Trait (A-Trait) test and to remain in the study until one year postpartum. At one, three, four months and one year postpartum, each subject took the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) test and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory State (A-State) test. At one year postpartum, they were asked about maternal affection and their baby's development by a questionnaire. The prevalence of high scores in EPDS (>=9) tests at one, three, four months and one year postpartum was 18.3%, 11.9%, 7.2% and 12.2% in the Clinic group, and 20.5%, 17.1%, 15.0% and 16.1% in the Center group, respectively. The EPDS score, as well as the A-State at one year postpartum were significantly correlated with poorly developed maternal affection in both groups. Furthermore, the EPDS score and the A-State test were inversely correlated with child development scores in the Center group.These findings contibute to elucidating the association between maternal psychological factors, including postnatal depression, and child development.