NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Infants born to mothers with depression are at increased risk for sleep disturbances from 2 to 24 weeks of age, according to a report in the May issue of Sleep. Whether this places the infants at greater risk for childhood depression remains to be determined.

The findings are based on a study of 18 healthy, full-term infants who had their sleep habits evaluated with actigraphy for 7 consecutive days on a monthly basis. In addition, the subjects’ mothers kept daily sleep/wake diaries.

Eleven of the infants were born to mothers with depression, while the other seven had no family history of depression, Dr. Roseanne Armitage, from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and colleagues note in their report.

The researchers found that infants of depressed mothers took longer to fall asleep than those of non-depressed mothers (about 80 minutes versus 20 minutes) and also had lower sleep efficiencies (approximately 60% vs. 75%) and more awakenings in the nocturnal sleep period (approximately 4 vs. 2). These differences persisted throughout the full 24-week study period.

“Although there are many environmental and social factors that can influence infant sleep and behavior, this study is a first step toward characterizing the influence of maternal depression,” the investigators write.

If further research shows that the infants with disturbed sleep are prone to depression themselves, the authors note, it will then be important to determine if the sleep problem is a modifiable risk factor.

Reference:
Sleep 2009;32:693-696.