When mothers and caregivers get help for depression, children benefit Caring for young children can be draining, physically and emotionally. Moreover, many mothers suffer from various degrees of depression after giving birth. When the depression eases in the first six months, children are generally not affected, but Geraldin Dawson, Ph.D., and her colleagues at the University of Washington have found that mothers who are significantly depressed throughout their children's first year and a half are less likely to respond sensitively to their children's cues and clues. This can have long-lasting effects on their babies' development. The good news is that when mothers get help and the depression lets up, the impact on the children also lessens - or goes away altogether.
Treatment can help both mothers and children.