Role of Postpartum Depression in the Risk of Delayed Child Developmental Milestones: A Cross-Sectional Study Within the First Year of Life

Introduction: Postpartum depression (PPD) is a common maternal mental health disorder that may adversely affect infant neurodevelopment. However, evidence from South India remains limited. This study examined the association between maternal postpartum depressive symptoms and developmental milestones during the first year of life.

Methods: A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 543 mother–infant dyads attending a pediatric vaccination clinic in Chennai, India. Maternal depressive symptoms were assessed using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), while infant developmental status was screened using age-appropriate Survey of Well-being of Young Children (SWYC) milestone forms. Associations were analyzed using chi-square tests and multivariable logistic regression.

Results: Overall, 35.5% of infants required developmental review. Possible and probable postpartum depression were identified in 15.7% and 19.0% of mothers, respectively. Maternal depressive symptoms, financial constraints, and partner violence were significantly associated with developmental risk (all p < 0.001). After adjustment, infants of mothers with possible depression (AOR 5.30, 95% CI 3.09 to 9.09) and probable depression (AOR 6.07, 95% CI 3.51 to 10.49) had significantly higher odds of requiring developmental review. Financial constraints also remained independently associated with developmental risk (AOR 2.04, 95% CI 1.22 to 3.44), whereas partner violence was no longer statistically significant.

Conclusions: Maternal postpartum depressive symptoms were strongly associated with developmental vulnerability during the first year of life. Integrating maternal mental health screening into routine pediatric developmental surveillance could facilitate early identification of at-risk mother–infant dyads and enable timely intervention.