Influence of Postpartum Depression Among Mothers on Cognitive Development in Children: A Scoping Review

The interplay of maternal care, communication, and emotional expression of parent-child interactions dramatically influences the cognitive and emotional growth of the child during their formative years. Postpartum depression poses a significant public health concern, impacting mothers' caregiving abilities and infants' sensitive early development. The present scoping review aims to explore the literature that delves into the influence of postpartum depression among mothers on the child’s cognitive development. For this scoping review, a systematic search was conducted for studies in the PubMed and Scopus databases. Studies published in the English language from 1990 to 2023 focusing on mothers with postpartum depression having children aged up to 7 years were included. Studies involving assisted pregnancies or co-morbid postpartum psychosis/anxiety were excluded. These searches were conducted in databases such as PubMed and Scopus. The scoping review included eight studies. Five of the studies call attention to the significance of postpartum depression as negatively impacting the cognitive development of children. The other three studies suggest no direct adverse effects, emphasizing the importance of personal components that act as mediators, such as maternal sensitivity, and social components, such as socio-economic status. The findings of this review emphasize the significance of speedily identifying symptoms of postpartum depression in mothers and providing tailored support measures. The present scoping review also emphasizes the importance of addressing the symptoms of depression among mothers throughout early child development, promoting the well-being of both mothers and children.