Previous research has linked maternal mental health, both before and after childbirth, with the development of asthma in children.
A study recently published in the Annals and Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, the scientific journal of American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, sets out to examine this phenomenon with inner-city African Americans and Hispanics, who are at high risk for asthma.
The Columbia University study observed 279 inner-city African-American and Hispanic women before, during pregnancy, and after birth using questionnaires, and found prenatal depression to be significant predictor of wheezing among children.
“Approximately 70 percent of mothers who said they experienced high levels of anxiety or depression while they were pregnant reported their child had wheezed before age 5," said Marilyn Reyes, lead author of the study.
"Understanding how maternal health affects a child’s respiratory health is important in developing effective strategies to prevent asthma."