Maternal depression and development of child executive functions: foreign literature review

Abstract

Background: An estimated 3 to 60% of mothers worldwide suffer from depression that often goes undiagnosed and untreated. Meanwhile, a growing body of research confirms adverse effects of maternal depression on child executive functioning. Due to the fact that impairments become less easily reversible as a child grows older, we need to understand the mechanisms of the negative impact of maternal depression on the child executive functioning outcomes, in order to determine periods when interventions will be most critical and effective.

Objective: To review foreign studies on the mechanisms of the negative impact of prenatal, postpartum and chronic maternal depression on child executive functioning outcomes.

Methods: We searched for articles in PubMed, Research Gate, Google Scholar, ScienceDirect using the following keywords: “maternal depression”, “postpartum depression”, “prenatal depression”, “antental depression” in combination with “child executive functions”. The review includes all relevant articles that were published in English to 2008 and contain these keywords.

Results. Maternal depression during pregnancy is associated with changes in the fetal prefrontal cortex and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. The main pathways for postpartum and chronic maternal depression to affect the development of child executive functions is via stressful and chaotic environment, decreased maternal sensitivity, more reliance on coercive parenting methods, and harsh-intrusive pattern of mother-child interaction. Moreover, children of depressed mothers exhibit more psychiatric disorders and often adopt an avoidant social style, both of which may also hinder their cognitive development. Most researchers emphasize the role of intensity and chronicity of maternal depression rather than the timing of onset (prenatally or postpartum).

Conclusions: The results of our review underscore the importance of timely diagnosis and treatment of maternal depression, as well as interventions aimed at improving mother-child interaction.

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