Association between maternal depression and child socio-emotional and cognitive development at Mnazi Mmoja Hospital Dar-Es Salaam

Abstract

ABSTRACT Background Infancy is a crucial time in the course of human development as a determinant for health and wellbeing, a healthy child is expected to meet developmental milestones for cognitive, socio-emotional and physical development. This strongly influences basic learning, school success, economic participation, social citizenry, and health. It is estimated that 43% of children in low and middle- income countries do not attain their potential development. Globally the prevalence of maternal depression is 10-15% and has been associated with adverse effects on child cognitive, behavioral and physical development. In most developing countries the prevalence of maternal depression is high and there are no national statistics on child cognitive and socio-emotional development. There are no retrievable studies on the association between maternal depression and child socio-emotional and cognitive development that have been conducted in Tanzania. Aim of the study The aim of this study is to determine the association between maternal depression and socio-emotional and cognitive development.

Materials and Methods This was a hospital-based descriptive cross-sectional study where quantitative methods were used to collect information from March to April 2019. The study was conducted at Mnazi Mmoja Hospital, Dar es Salaam RCH clinic amongst 422 mothers with their children aged 6-12 months; mothers were assessed for maternal depression using PHQ-9 and children for child socio-emotional and cognitive development using the Tanzanian validated Caregiver-Reported Early Development Index (CREDI). Other potential predictors of child socio-emotional and cognitive development were measured including socio-demographic characteristics, the child’s environmental stimulation through parents’ involvement in child’s activities and the presence of intimate partner violence. Data were analyzed by SPSS version 23 and bivariate association was calculated by using the chi-square test with a significance level of p<0.2. Logistic regression (multivariates regression) was used to determine independent predictors of child development using a full effects model and odds ratio used to determine the strength of associations. Results: A total of 420 mother-child dyads were studied 63% of the children being female, and 32.5% had low socio-emotional scores. The mother's mean age (SD) was 27.4 years (6.98) and the prevalence of maternal depression was 36%. Multivariate analysis showed maternal depression was significantly associated with child cognitive development (AOR 0.50; 95% CI 0.28, 0.75; p=0.002) and parental stimulation was found to be associated with child cogniti ve the mean age (SD) was 9.5 months (2.09); 31% of the children had low cognitive scores development (AOR 0.50; 95%CI 0.31, 0.80; 0.004); maternal depression was associated with socio-emotional development (AOR 0.47; 95% CI 0.29, 0.77;p=0.003). Conclusion: Maternal depression is high and it is associated with adverse child socio-emotional and cognitive development. It is recommended that screening and early interventions for maternal depression should be done at the RCH clinics. Parental stimulation seen as a protective factor for child cognitive development should, therefore, be emphasized at the RCH clinic education sessions.