Study links maternal postpartum depression to emotional overeating in children

Study links maternal postpartum depression to emotional overeating in children

Up to 25% of new mothers suffer from postpartum depression, which can significantly impact their parenting behavior and the well-being of their children. A new study from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign examines the long-term effects of early maternal depression on children and highlights the need to provide appropriate support to mothers who may be struggling.

We aimed to examine how maternal early postpartum depression might influence children's executive function and emotional timing, focusing on the psychological mechanisms driving the effects. “

Samantha Iwinski, senior author, postdoctoral fellow, Department of Human Development and Family Science at Illinois

"Emotional overeating is about using food to cope with stress or emotions rather than using it to satisfy hunger. Instead of thinking about food as a source of nutrition or pleasure, it becomes a coping strategy for negative emotions. When children are unable to talk about their emotions or show how they really feel, they respond to a stressful situation by grabbing something by grabbing onto something," Iwinski said.

The study included families participating in the Midwest's Strong Kids2 project, which studies how individual biology interacts with the family environment to promote healthy eating habits in young children. Mothers completed questionnaires assessing postpartum depression at six weeks, children's emotional functioning at 24 months, and children's eating behavior at 48 months.

The researchers analyzed the data using the biopsychosocial pathway model, whereby the interactions between biological, psychological and social factors influence health outcomes, including appetite self-regulation. They focused on postpartum depression as a critical social factor predicting children's emotional overtime, mediated by emotional and cognitive psychological processes.

"In our sample, nearly 12% of mothers met criteria for postpartum depression, and we found that maternal postpartum depression at six weeks negatively affected children's executive function with inhibition and emotional control at 24 months and at 48 months," Iwinski said.

"Inhibition involves the ability to control attention, behavior, and thoughts. This involves doing what may be appropriate in a given situation. This involves, for example, exceeding one's internal predispositions. When a child is doing her homework and the television is playing, she can direct her attention and concentrate on her homework.

In addition to the indirect effects on eating behavior through executive functioning, there was also a direct correlation between maternal depression and children's overeating.

Mothers suffering from postpartum depression may be less responsive to their children's cognitive and emotional needs, which can impact healthy development and self-regulation abilities. Women with postpartum depression symptoms may also engage in appetite fluctuations and model this behavior for their children.

The researchers say their findings highlight the need for early intervention and support for women suffering from depression.

"By supporting maternal mental health, we are truly supporting families because of the long-term effects on children. It is important to identify what might be happening early on to help families teach their children healthy strategies for managing emotions such as play, mindfulness, or even just being aware of our feelings," Iwinski said.

"Teachers and other supportive adults can also participate in supporting children and families. For example, they can look at eating patterns and determine how children might react in certain situations. If food might be a coping mechanism for them. They can then use this information to talk about other ways to manage emotions and bring the family more into the conversation."

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