BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Children of severely depressed mothers are three times more likely to suffer accidental injuries than other children, according to a new University of Alabama at Birmingham study. Dr. David Schwebel, a psychologist and director of the Youth Safety Lab at UAB, surveyed more than 1,300 mothers to examine the difference between those with severe, chronic depression and those with moderate depression. He found that children of mothers with severe depression had children who experienced a significant number of accidental injuries between the ages of 3 months and 2 years. However, accidents dropped to normal levels as these children grew older, the study found. Schwebel said the chronically depressed mothers may lack the ability to provide safeguards for their children, and the symptoms of depression include inattention, poor concentration and irritability, all conditions that make caring for a child more difficult.

The study suggests that proper treatment for depression would help mothers and their children.

The new study is being published in the Journal of Pediatric Psychology.

PH END PARKS

(Dave Parks is a staff writer for the Birmingham (Ala.) News. He can be contacted at dparks(at)bhamnews.com.)

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