The importance of parents' mental health for child development

There are a number of reasons why perinatal disorders can negatively affect the development of the fetus before birth: stress hormones in pregnant women, e.g. cortisol, pass through the placenta and affect the development of the fetal brain; a depressed pregnant woman is less likely to have a healthy lifestyle, less likely to go to prenatal health checks, less likely to get treatment when she is ill and less likely to prepare for motherhood; depression can adversely affect a pregnant woman's immune system; a baby can be born prematurely or with a low birth weight.

Parents' mental health

The physical and mental health of the mother and father during pregnancy, and even before that period, lays the first foundations for a young child to thrive successfully. Often, the health system is more focused on medical tests, such as measuring the blood pressure and body weight of pregnant and postpartum women, than on the mental health and well-being of the mother and her partner, although they can have a significant impact on the fetus.  

Thanks to numerous scientific studies, we know that the state of tension, anxiety, increased worrying, stress and depression raises the level of cortisol in the mother's bloodstream, and that the filtration capacity of the placenta is reduced, which allows elevated cortisol to pass to the baby's brain. Research has found that this negatively affects the brain architecture of unborn child (fetus), which is developing rapidly.

In addition, a pregnant woman who suffers from anxiety, tension and increased worrying, depression or any other mental disorder finds it difficult to follow the principles of healthy living that are necessary for a good pregnancy outcome (not consuming cigarettes, alcohol and other substances, regular and healthy diet, physical exercise to the extent possible, regular and sufficiently long sleep and rest, etc.), does not seek treatment or alleviation of health problems in time.

Because of all these considerations, perinatal mental disorders in parents, especially if they are not attended to in time and in the right way, may negatively affect or have consequences for many aspects of effective parenting after a child is born. These may include the following: 

  • The development of the relationship with the baby can be compromised, i.e. the mother's and father's ability to connect emotionally with the baby, to rejoice at seeing their baby's first reactions and to establish an emotional exchange with him/her and each other.
  • Relationships between partners and with other family members can also be disrupted.
  • The parents' ability to "listen" and responsiveness (the ability to elicit the baby's response and adequately respond to his/her moves and signals) may also be impaired. Development is best stimulated in the context of a warm, responsive and caring parent-child relationship. Lack of responsiveness or inadequate (e.g. unpredictable) responsiveness activates a physiological stress response in an infant.  
  • A depressed mother or father sometimes cannot see and understand what the baby may show or do according to age; they do not recognize the stages of development and motivation (for example, they cannot understand why a one-month-old baby does not allow them to sleep through the night without interruptions, they may even think that the baby cries "on purpose").
  • The parents' ability to see their baby in a positive light is reduced.
  • Parental assessment of what their baby needs (in terms of health, safety and care) may be unreliable.
  • Maternal or paternal tolerance of the environment is reduced, apathy increases, as well as the lack of emotional reaction to the child.
  • Baby and young child growth, development and behavior are closely related to caregivers' behavior.

When the mother or father is depressed, it can have a serious adverse effect on the development of the baby's brain, and thus all areas of cognitive and socio-emotional development, including skills and executive functions.  

Research shows that both maternal and paternal depression and anxiety are associated with developmental problems in the child and affect socio-emotional and cognitive functioning, planning, organization, and control of behaviors according to context.  Research also indicates that children of mothers who suffer from perinatal disease are more likely to have problems in socio-emotional and cognitive functioning, planning, organization and behavior control according to the context.