Long-term symptoms of depression and anxiety in mothers of infants with congenital heart defects

Abstract

Objective: To examine the relationship between the severity of infants' congenital heart defects (CHD) and their mothers' symptoms of depression and anxiety from pregnancy to 18 months postpartum. Methods: Mothers of infants with mild, moderate, or severe CHD (n = 162) and mothers (n = 44 400) within the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study were assessed with an eight-item short version (SCL-8) of the Hopkins Symptom Checklist-25 at the 30th week of gestation and at 6 and 18 months postpartum. Results: Only the postpartum mental health trajectory of mothers of infants with severe CHD deviated from the mental health trajectory of the cohort at 6 and 18 months postpartum, showing significantly elevated levels of depression and anxiety symptoms. Conclusions: The results elucidate the relationship between infants' CHD severity and maternal symptoms of depression and anxiety, possibly identifying a specifically vulnerable patient dyad in need of postoperative interventions. © The Author 2010. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Pediatric Psychology. All rights reserved.