Bulletin of the World Health Organization

Maternal depression and early childhood growth in developing countries: systematic review and meta-analysis

Pamela J Surkan, Caitlin E Kennedy, Kristen M Hurley & Maureen M Black

Volume 89, Number 8, August 2011, 608-615E

Table 3. Effect of maternal depressive symptoms on child underweight or stunting in selected studies from developing countries, 1996–2010

Study Measure of depressive symptoms Mothers with depressive symptoms (%) Underweight or stunted children (%) Underweight or stunting prevalence (%) in children of mothers with depressive symptoms Adjusted OR RRa PAR (%)
Underweight
Patel et al. 200331 EPDS 23.0 16.4 30.0 2.8 2.26 22.5
Surkan et al. 200839 CES-D 55.0 4.0 5.8 1.8 1.75 29.4
Stunting
Patel et al. 200331 EPDS 23.0 12.3 25.0 3.2 2.65 27.5
Black et al. 200524 CES-D 52.0 36.9 45.3 2.3 1.71 27.0

CES-D, Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale; EPDS, Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale; OR, odds ratio; PAR, population attributable risk; RR, relative risk.

a The relative risk for each study was calculated from the adjusted OR and the prevalence of underweight or stunting, as appropriate, in children of depressed mothers.