A more depressed caregiver may impact speech development.
Drop by any baby group in town and you’ll quickly see that moms (and dads) love gooing and gaaahing along with their baby in an efforts to encourage connection and attachment. So called “baby talk” drives some people crazy, while others find it to be a soothing way of connecting with kids before they can form a proper sentence and express themselves.
Research to date has shown that communicating with your baby helps them develop much-needed language skills. What hasn’t run across the public’s radar as much is the mood of parents when they “chat” and how this can also influence a child’s development.
Are you feeling overwhelmed as a new mom and tired of trying to keep up? Here’s another reason getting help is good for not only you, but those around you.
Depression in new moms can affect language development
Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences in Leipzig, Germany found that children of mothers suffering from a mild depressive mood that doesn’t generally require medical intervention or treatment often show delayed language development in their early years.
Getting the blues after giving birth is ultra-common. Up to 70% of new mothers suffer from some type of mild to severe depression after having a baby.
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Babies are all-consuming leading to a lack of sleep and little time for self-care. Women who are doing the caregiving all themselves without much help from the wings are most prone to developing postnatal mood trouble.
Research has now shown that children of these mothers show less developed speech processing at six months of age. The findings suggest mothers (and fathers) can benefit from more paid time off after the birth of a child, and access to affordable help even when things seem to be going relatively OK.
Modulating your voice matters
The study’s authors say they aren’t sure why children of even mildly depressed moms show slower speech development but they think it has to do with voice modulation. Moms who have a low mood are likely more apt to talk to their child in a monotone, or not at all. Infant-directed speech is that which shows varying pitches in a more exaggerated way. It’s thought that babies of depressed moms aren’t exposed to these variations as much as those whose caregivers aren’t depressed. Researchers say this is thought to lead to the children being less able to detect pitch variation as they grow. This is a problem as pitch detection is a prerequisite for future language development.
“To ensure the proper development of young children, appropriate support is also needed for mothers who suffer from mild upsets that often do not yet require treatment,” said Gesa Schaadt. Schaadt is a professor of development in childhood and adolescence at FU Berlin. “That doesn’t necessarily have to be organized intervention measures,” she added. “Sometimes it just takes the fathers to be more involved.”
If you are feeling low in mood after giving birth, talk with your family and friends for support. Reach out to your doctor and other health professionals to get on a better track.
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