Infant Colic Linked to Depression in Fathers
Studies have suggested that excessive newborn crying, also known as colic, is more likely if their mothers are depressed. Now, researchers are asking whether colic also may be more common in children of depressed men.
Researchers looked at 7,600 babies and their parents, screening both mothers and fathers during pregnancy and following up two months after birth. They found a link to depression in fathers as well as mothers.
The study probably actually underestimates the link between depression and colic, because parents who were depressed during pregnancy were less likely to complete the surveys.