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Study Highlights Role of Early Bonding in Postpartum Depression’s Long-Term Impact on Children

New research finds that secure mother-infant bonding buffers 34.6% of the effects of postpartum depression on sixth-grade children’s emotional and behavioral challenges.

Based on the collected data, 17.1% of mothers exhibited postpartum depressive symptoms, which aligned with the national prevalence rates in Japan. Credit: Neuroscience News
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Overview

  • Researchers from Shinshu University analyzed data from 245 mother-child pairs in Okaya, Japan, tracking outcomes from birth to sixth grade.
  • Seventeen point one percent of mothers exhibited postpartum depressive symptoms, aligning with national prevalence rates in Japan.
  • Mother-to-infant bonding was found to mediate over one-third of the impact of postpartum depression on children’s later difficulties.
  • Boys of mothers with postpartum depression showed higher vulnerability, particularly in conduct problems and hyperactivity/inattention.
  • The findings emphasize the need for postpartum care interventions focused on enhancing mother-infant bonding and call for further research into genetic, socioeconomic, and neurobiological mechanisms.