Maternal Depression Solved With Child Care?

New ground is still being broken in the treatment of maternal depression, and many new moms struggle to understand or simply write off their feelings thinking they will go away in time. But with new information on the long-term effects of this depression, it’s important for moms to find ways to take care of themselves. One of these ways is just a few hours of child care each week.

Studies have shown that mom’s depression can lead to behavioural problems in children at roughly age 5, but a new study has found that having outside child care for three hours a week or more while the child is under age 2 can significantly lower the risk of these programs.

Types of child care that are considered beneficial include nannies or other forms of paid day care. Surprisingly, moms who occasionally had friends or family members watch the child did not see the same results.

This recent study compiled data from 438 moms – 69 percent had no symptoms of depression, 20 percent had intermittent symptoms and 11 percent had recurring symptoms. The positive effects of external child care were only seen in moms who had recurring symptoms, not those who experienced depression only intermittently.

While there are some holes in the study – for example, it relied on mothers’ reports of their child’s behaviour, which may be influenced by their depression – the results are considered positive in the medical field, particularly given that the treatment is simple. For moms who may not be able to afford external child care, it may be that creating a structured routine for a friend or family member to watch the child may be the key.

“Even informal child care can be regular and consistent rather than a catch-as-catch-can, haphazard system of care,” says Dr. Rahil Briggs, a child psychologist out of New York.  “If you as the mom knew that every Monday afternoon and every Thursday morning, you have coverage for your child, it may have the similar benefits as formal, paid child care.”

The full study can be found in Pediatrics, the online journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics.