Depressed mums and ODD kids

MOTHERS who experience depression during the late stages of pregnancy and after giving birth are more likely to have kids with a specific behaviour disorder, according to new research.

Australian and UK researchers from Curtin University and the University of Queensland say those children were likely to develop oppositional defiant disorder (ODD).

The behaviour disorder is characterised by angry moods, and argumentative and defiant behaviour.

In the population-based birth cohort study of 7994 mother-offspring pairs, maternal peri-natal depressive symptoms were associated with offspring with ODD.

Persistent depressive symptoms in mothers during pregnancy and the post-partum period were associated with a fourfold increased risk of ODD over time, the research also showed.

The researchers said identifying and treating maternal mental health problems, especially among those who have post-natal or persistent depressive symptoms, could help reduce the risk of ODD in children and adolescents.