Abstract
Different types of studies suggest a link between maternal depression/anxiety and excessive infant crying (EC). However, comparability is hampered due to different designs, definitions and measurements. This systematic review investigates the specific role of maternal depression and anxiety considering them as preceding, concurrent and subsequent conditions of EC. A computerised literature search was conducted in January 2017 using Medline, PubMed, PsycINFO and Web of Science. After screening n = 399 records for inclusion/exclusion criteria, n = 33 records based on n = 30 projects were eligible for systematic qualitative data synthesis. All studies on maternal depression/anxiety and EC within the first 3 years of life were included. Included studies investigated predominantly maternal depression (25/30) and secondly maternal anxiety (17/30). Significant positive results were found in the majority of studies for maternal depression (21/25) as well as for maternal anxiety (12/17) in relation to EC. In-depth analyses further revealed that concurrent and subsequent maternal depression was robustly related with EC, whilst preceding maternal depression was not. In contrast, preceding and concurrent (but not subsequent) maternal anxiety was consistently related to subsequent EC. Maternal depression is more likely a correlate or even a consequence of EC, whereas anxiety is rather a temporally preceding condition and thus a potential risk factor or risk marker for both subsequent EC and associated maternal depression. Interventions for EC should address concurrent maternal depression, whilst preventive approaches might target preceding maternal anxiety as early as prior to or during pregnancy.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
*Marked publications refer to included records.
*Abacı FB, Gökçe S, Tuygun N, Karacan CD, Öner Ö (2013) Psychosocial status and quality of life in mothers of infants with colic. Turk J Pediatr 55:391–395
*Akman I et al (2006) Mothers’ postpartum psychological adjustment and infantile colic. Arch Dis Child 91:417–419. https://doi.org/10.1136/adc.2005.083790
Aktar E, Colonnesi C, de Vente W, Majdandžić M, Bögels SM (2016) How do parents’ depression and anxiety, and infants’ negative temperament relate to parent-infant face-to-face interactions? Dev Psychopathol 29:1–14. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0954579416000390
Ames EW, Gavel S, Khazaie S, Farrell T (1984) Mothers’ reports of infant crying and soothing. Infant Behav Dev 7(Supplement 1):11. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0163-6383(84)80073-9
Barr RG, Rotman A, Yaremko J, Leduc D, Francœur TE (1992) The crying of infants with colic: a controlled empirical description. Pediatrics 90:14–21
Barr RG, Trent RB, Cross J (2006) Age-related incidence curve of hospitalized shaken baby syndrome cases: convergent evidence for crying as a trigger to shaking. Child Abuse Negl 30:7–16. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2005.06.009
Barr RG, Fairbrother N, Pauwels J, Green J, Chen M, Brant R (2014) Maternal frustration, emotional and behavioural responses to prolonged infant crying. Infant Behav Dev 37:652–664. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.infbeh.2014.08.012
*Becker K, Pauli-Pott U, Beckmann D (1998) Infantile colic as maternal reason of consulting a pediatrician: Characteristics of mother and child. Prax Kinderpsychol Kinderpsychiatr 47:625–640
Beesdo K, Bittner A, Pine DS, Stein MB, Höfler M, Lieb R, Wittchen H-U (2007) Incidence of social anxiety disorder and the consistent risk for secondary depression in the first three decades of life. Arch Gen Psychiatry 64:903–912. https://doi.org/10.1001/archpsyc.64.8.903
Bolten MI (2013) Infant psychiatric disorders. Eur Child Adolesc Psych 22:S69–S74. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-012-0364-8
*Bolten MI, Fink NS, Stadler C (2012) Maternal self-efficacy reduces the impact of prenatal stress on infant’s crying behavior. J Pediatr 161:104–109. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpeds.2011.12.044
Brouwers EPM, van Baar AL, Pop VJM (2001) Does the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale measure anxiety? J Psychosom Res 51:659–663. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0022-3999(01)00245-8
Bruning S, McMahon C (2009) The impact of infant crying on young women: a randomized controlled study. J Reprod Infant Psychol 27:206–220. https://doi.org/10.1080/02646830802350856
*Çak HT et al (2015) Relationship between the psychiatric symptoms in expecting parents and postpartum depression and infantile colic: a multicenter follow up study. Turk Psikiyatri Dergisi 26:87–98
*Canivet CA, Östergren PO, Rosén AS, Jakobsson IL, Hagander BM (2005) Infantile colic and the role of trait anxiety during pregnancy in relation to psychosocial and socioeconomic factors. Scand J Public Health 33:26–34. https://doi.org/10.1080/14034940410028316
*Carey WB (1968) Maternal anxiety and infantile colic: is there a relationship? Clin Pediatr (Phila) 7:590–595
*Clifford TJ, Campbell MK, Speechley KN, Gorodzinsky F (2002a) Infant colic: empirical evidence of the absence of an association with source of early infant nutrition. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 156:1123–1128
*Clifford TJ, Campbell MK, Speechley KN, Gorodzinsky F (2002b) Sequelae of infant colic—evidence of transient infant distress and absence of lasting effects on maternal mental health. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 156:1183–1188
Coelho HF, Murray L, Royal-Lawson M, Cooper PJ (2011) Antenatal anxiety disorder as a predictor of postnatal depression: a longitudinal study. J Affect Disord 129:348–353. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2010.08.002
Cox JL, Holden JM, Sagovsky R (1987) Detection of postnatal depression: development of the 10-item Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. Br J Psychiatry 150:782–786
*Dennis CL, Ross L (2005) Relationships among infant sleep patterns, maternal fatigue, and development of depressive symptomatology Birth-Issue. Perinat Care 32:187–193. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0730-7659.2005.00368.x
Douglas PS, Miller Y, Bucetti A, Hill PS, Creedy DK (2015) Preliminary evaluation of a primary care intervention for cry-fuss behaviours in the first 3–4 months of life (“the possums approach”): effects on cry-fuss behaviours and maternal mood. Australian Journal of Primary Health 21:38–45. https://doi.org/10.1071/py13011
Evans K, Spiby H, Morrell CJ (2015) A psychometric systematic review of self-report instruments to identify anxiety in pregnancy. J Adv Nurs 71:1986–2001. https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.12649
Feldman R, Granat A, Pariente C, Kanety H, Kuint J, Gilboa-Schechtman E (2009) Maternal depression and anxiety across the postpartum year and infant social engagement, fear regulation, and stress reactivity. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 48:919–927. https://doi.org/10.1097/CHI.0b013e3181b21651
Forsyth BW, Leventhal JM, PL MC (1985) Mothers’ perceptions of problems of feeding and crying behaviors. A prospective study. Am J Dis Child 139:269–272
Glasheen C, Richardson GA, Fabio A (2010) A systematic review of the effects of postnatal maternal anxiety on children. Arch Women Ment Health 13:61–74. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00737-009-0109-y
Glover V (2011) Prenatal stress and the origins of psychopathology: an evolutionary perspective. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 52:356–367. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-7610.2011.02371.x
*Goedhart G, van der Wal MF, van Eijsden M, Bonsel GJ (2011) Maternal vitamin B-12 and folate status during pregnancy and excessive infant crying. Early Hum Dev 87:309–314. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2011.01.037
Gross S, Stasch M, von dem Knesebeck M, Cierpka M (2007) Zur Lage der Beratung und Therapie von Eltern mit Säuglingen und Kleinkindern in Deutschland: Ergebnisse einer expertise [About the state of counselling and therapy of parents with their infants in Germany: results of an expertise]. Prax Kinderpsychol Kinderpsychiatr 56:822–835
Halpern R, Coelho R (2016) Excessive crying in infants. J Pediatr 92:S40–S45. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jped.2016.01.004
Hemmi MH, Wolke D, Schneider S (2011) Associations between problems with crying, sleeping and/or feeding in infancy and long-term behavioural outcomes in childhood: a meta-analysis. Arch Dis Child 96:622–629. https://doi.org/10.1136/adc.2010.191312
Heron J, O’Connor TG, Evans J, Golding J, Glover V (2004) The course of anxiety and depression through pregnancy and the postpartum in a community sample. J Affect Disord 80:65–73. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2003.08.004
Higgins JPT, Altman DG, Sterne JAC (2011) Chapter 8: assessing risk of bias in included studies. In: Higgins JPT, Green S (eds) Cochrane handbook for systematic reviews of interventions version 5.1.0 (updated march 2011). The Cochrane Collaboration, London Available from www.handbook.cochrane.org
*Howell EA, Mora PA, DiBonaventura MD, Leventhal H (2009) Modifiable factors associated with changes in postpartum depressive symptoms. Arch Womens Ment Health 12:113–120. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00737-009-0056-7
*Humphry RA (1989) Infants with colic: a study of maternal stress and anxiety. Infant Ment Health J 10:263–272. https://doi.org/10.1002/1097-0355(198924)10:4<263:aid-imhj2280100404>3.0.co;2-4
Kaitz M, Maytal H (2005) Interactions between anxious mothers and their infants: an integration of theory and research findings. Infant Ment Health J 26:570–597. https://doi.org/10.1002/imhj.20069
Kaley F, Reid V, Flynn E (2011) The psychology of infant colic: a review of current research. Infant Ment Health J 32:526–541. https://doi.org/10.1002/imhj.20308
Kammerer M, Marks MN, Pinard C, Taylor A, von Castelberg B, Kunzli H, Glover V (2009) Symptoms associated with the DSM IV diagnosis of depression in pregnancy and post partum. Arch Womens Ment Health 12:135–141. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00737-009-0062-9
Kheir AEM (2012) Infantile colic, facts and fiction. Ital J Pediatr 38. https://doi.org/10.1186/1824-7288-38-34
Korja R, Nolvi S, Grant KA, McMahon C (2017) The relations between maternal prenatal anxiety or stress and child’s early negative reactivity or self-regulation: a systematic review. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10578-017-0709-0
*Kurth E et al (2010) Predictors of crying problems in the early postpartum period. Jognn 39:250–262. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1552-6909.2010.01141.x
Kurth E, Kennedy HP, Spichiger E, Hösli I, Zemp Stutz E (2011) Crying babies, tired mothers: what do we know? A systematic review. Midwifery 27:187–194. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.midw.2009.05.012
Kvitvaer BG, Miller J, Newell D (2012) Improving our understanding of the colicky infant: a prospective observational study. J Clin Nurs 21:63–69. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2702.2010.03680.x
Landgren K, Hallström I (2011) Parents’ experience of living with a baby with infantile colic—a phenomenological hermeneutic study. Scand J Caring Sci 25:317–324. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1471-6712.2010.00829.x
Leerkes EM, Parade SH, Gudmundson JA (2011) Mothers’ emotional reactions to crying pose risk for subsequent attachment insecurity. J Fam Psychol 25:635–643. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0023654
Liberati A et al (2009) The PRISMA statement for reporting systematic reviews and meta-analyses of studies that evaluate health care interventions: explanation and elaboration. J Clin Epidemiol 62:e1–34. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclinepi.2009.06.006
Lieb R, Wittchen HU, Höfler M, Fuetsch M, Stein MB, Merikangas KR (2000) Parental psychopathology, parenting styles, and the risk of social phobia in offspring—a prospective-longitudinal community study. Arch Gen Psychiatry 57:859–866. https://doi.org/10.1001/archpsyc.57.9.859
Lucassen P, Assendelft WJJ, van Eijk JTM, Gubbels JW, Douwes AC, van Geldrop WJ (2001) Systematic review of the occurrence of infantile colic in the community. Arch Dis Child 84:398–403. https://doi.org/10.1136/adc.84.5.398
Lyell DJ, Chambers AS, Steidtmann D, Tsai E, Caughey AB, Wong A, Manber R (2012) Antenatal identification of major depressive disorder: a cohort study. Am J Obstet Gynecol 207:506 e501–506. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajog.2012.09.030
Manber R, Blasey C, Allen JJ (2008) Depression symptoms during pregnancy. Arch Womens Ment Health 11:43–48. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00737-008-0216-1
Martini J, Petzoldt J, Einsle F, Beesdo-Baum K, Höfler M, Wittchen H-U (2015) Risk factors and course patterns of anxiety and depressive disorders during pregnancy and after delivery: a prospective-longitudinal study. J Affect Disord 175:385–395. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2015.01.012
Matthey S, Fisher J, Rowe H (2013) Using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale to screen for anxiety disorders: conceptual and methodological considerations. J Affect Disord 146:224–230. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2012.09.009
*Maxted AE, Dickstein S, Miller-Loncar C, High P, Spritz B, Liu J, Lester BM (2005) Infant colic and maternal depression. Infant Ment Health J 26:56–68. https://doi.org/10.1002/imhj.20035
Meades R, Ayers S (2011) Anxiety measures validated in perinatal populations: a systematic review. J Affect Disord 133:1–15. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2010.10.009
*Miller AR, Barr RG, Eaton WO (1993) Crying and motor behavior of 6-week-old infants and postpartum maternal mood. Pediatrics 92:551–558
Moher D, Liberati A, Tetzlaff J, Altman DG, The PRISMA Group (2009) Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses: the PRISMA statement. J Clin Epidemiol 62:1006–1012. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclinepi.2009.06.005
O’Donovan JC (1980) Infantile colic, or what to do until the fourth month comes. Compr Ther 6:9–12
*Orhon FS, Ulukol B, Soykan A (2007) Postpartum mood disorders and maternal perceptions of infant patterns in well-child follow-up visits. Acta Paediatr 96:1777–1783. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1651-2227.2007.00557.x
Papoušek M, von Hofacker N (1995) Persistent crying and parenting: search for a butterfly in a dynamic system. Early Dev Parent 4:209–224. https://doi.org/10.1002/edp.2430040406
*Papoušek M, von Hofacker N (1998) Persistent crying in early infancy: a non-trivial condition of risk for the developing mother-infant relationship. Child Care Health Dev 24:395–424
Parkin PC, Schwartz CJ, Manuel BA (1993) Randomized controlled trial of three interventions in the management of persistent crying of infancy. Pediatrics 92:197–201
Pauli-Pott U, Becker K, Mertesacker T, Beckmann D (2000) Infants with colic: mothers’ perspectives on the crying problem. J Psychosom Res 48:125–132. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0022-3999(99)00084-7
*Petzoldt J, Wittchen H-U, Wittich J, Einsle F, Höfler M, Martini J (2014) Maternal anxiety disorders predict excessive infant crying: a prospective longitudinal study. Arch Dis Child 99:800–806. https://doi.org/10.1136/archdischild-2013-305562
*Petzoldt J, Wittchen HU, Einsle F, Martini J (2016) Maternal anxiety versus depressive disorders: specific relations to infants crying, feeding and sleeping problems. Child Care Health Dev 42:231–245. https://doi.org/10.1111/cch.12292
*Pinyerd BJ (1992) Infant colic and maternal mental health: nursing research and practice concerns. Issues Compr Pediatr Nurs 15:155–167
Postert C, Averbeck-Holocher M, Achtergarde S, Müller JM, Furniss T (2012) Regulatory disorders in early childhood: correlates in child behavior, parent-child relationship, and parental mental health. Infant Ment Health J 33:173–186. https://doi.org/10.1002/imhj.20338
*Radesky JS et al (2013) Inconsolable infant crying and maternal postpartum depressive symptoms. Pediatrics 131:E1857–E1864. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2012-3316
Raïha H, Lehtonen L, Huhtala V, Saleva K, Korvenranta H (2002) Excessively crying infant in the family: mother-infant, father-infant and mother-father interaction. Child Care Health Dev 28:419–429
Reijneveld SA, Brugman E, Hirasing RA (2001) Excessive infant crying: the impact of varying definitions. Pediatrics 108:893–897. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.108.4.893
Reijneveld SA, van der Wal MF, Brugman E, Sing RAH, Verloove-Vanhorick SP (2004) Infant crying and abuse. Lancet 364:1340–1342. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0140-6736(04)17191-2
*Richter N, Reck C (2013) Positive maternal interaction behavior moderates the relation between maternal anxiety and infant regulatory problems. Infant Behav Dev 36:498–506. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.infbeh.2013.04.007
Ross LE, Gilbert Evans SE, Sellers EM, Romach MK (2003) Measurement issues in postpartum depression part 1: anxiety as a feature of postpartum depression. Arch Womens Ment Health 6:51–57. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00737-002-0155-1
*Sidor A, Thiel-Bonney C, Kunz E, Eickhorst A, Cierpka M (2012) Das exzessive Schreien bei 5 Monate alten Säuglingen und prä-, peri- und postnatale Belastung ihrer Mütter in einer Hoch-Risiko-Stichprobe [Persistent, excessive crying in 5-month-old infants and the pre-, peri- and postnatal adversities of their mothers in a high-risk sample]. Z Kinder Jugendpsychiatr Psychother 40:239–250. https://doi.org/10.1024/1422-4917/a000177
*Søndergaard C, Olsen J, Friis-Haschè E, Dirdal M, Thrane N, Sørensen HT (2003) Psychosocial distress during pregnancy and the risk of infantile colic: a follow-up study. Acta Paediatr 92:811–816. https://doi.org/10.1080/08035250310003857
Spielberger C, Gorsuch RL, Lushene EE (1970) State-trait anxiety scale. Consulting Psychologists Press, Palo Alto, C.A
*Staehelin K, Kurth E, Schindler C, Schmid M, Zemp Stutz E (2013) Predictors of early postpartum mental distress in mothers with midwifery home care—results from a nested case-control study. Swiss Med Wkly 143. https://doi.org/10.4414/smw.2013.13862
Stata Corporation (2012) Stata statistical software (Release 12.1). Stata Corporation LP, College Station
*Stifter CA, Bono MA (1998) The effect of infant colic on maternal self-perceptions and mother-infant attachment. Child Care Health Dev 24:339–351. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2214.2002.00088.x
Stifter CA, Bono M, Spinrad T (2003) Parent characteristics and conceptualizations associated with the emergence of infant colic. J Reprod Infant Psychol 21:309–322. https://doi.org/10.1080/02646830310001622123
*Stock A, Chin L, Babl FE, Bevan CA, Donath S, Jordan B (2013) Postnatal depression in mothers bringing infants to the emergency department. Arch Dis Child 98:36–40. https://doi.org/10.1136/archdischild-2012-302679
Sutter-Dallay AL, Giaconne-Marcesche V, Glatigny-Dallay E, Verdoux H (2004) Women with anxiety disorders during pregnancy are at increased risk of intense postnatal depressive symptoms: a prospective survey of the MATQUID cohort. Eur Psychiatry 19:459–463. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eurpsy.2004.09.025
Talvik I, Alexander RC, Talvik T (2008) Shaken baby syndrome and a baby’s cry. Acta Paediatr 97:782–785. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1651-2227.2008.00778.x
Tendais I, Costa R, Conde A, Figueiredo B (2014) Screening for depression and anxiety disorders from pregnancy to postpartum with the EPDS and STAI. The Spanish journal of psychology 17:E7. https://doi.org/10.1017/sjp.2014.7
*Van den Berg MP et al (2009) Paternal depressive symptoms during pregnancy are related to excessive infant crying. Pediatrics 124:E96–E103. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2008-3100
Van den Bergh BRH, Mulder EJH, Mennes M, Glover V (2005) Antenatal maternal anxiety and stress and the neurobehavioural development of the fetus and child: links and possible mechanisms. A review. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 29:237–258. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2004.10.007
*Vik T et al (2009) Infantile colic, prolonged crying and maternal postnatal depression. Acta Paediatr 98:1344–1348. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1651-2227.2009.01317.x
von Hofacker N, Papoušek M (1998) Disorders of excessive crying, feeding, and sleeping: the Munich interdisciplinary research and intervention program. Infant Ment Health J 19:180–201
*Wake M, Morton-Allen E, Poulakis Z, Hiscock H, Gallagher S, Oberklaid F (2006) Prevalence, stability, and outcomes of cry-fuss and sleep problems in the first 2 years of life: prospective community-based study. Pediatrics 117:836–842. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2005-0775
Weinberg MK, Tronick EZ (1998) The impact of maternal psychiatric illness on infant development. J Clin Psychiatry 59(Supplement 2):53–61
Weinberg MK, Beeghly M, Olson KL, Tronick E (2008) Effects of maternal depression and panic disorder on mother-infant interactive behavior in the face-to-face still-face paradigm. Infant Ment Health J 29:472–491. https://doi.org/10.1002/imhj.20193
Wessel MA, Cobb JC, Jackson EB, Harris GS, Detwiler AC (1954) Paroxysmal fussing in infancy, sometimes called colic. Pediatrics 14:421–435
*Whiffen VE (1990) Maternal depressed mood and perceptions of child temperament. J Genet Psychol 151:329–339
Winsper C, Wolke D (2014) Infant and toddler crying, sleeping and feeding problems and trajectories of dysregulated behavior across childhood. J Abnorm Child Psychol 42:831–843. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-013-9813-1
Wittchen HU, Kessler RC, Pfister H, Lieb M (2000) Why do people with anxiety disorders become depressed? A prospective-longitudinal community study. Acta Psychiatr Scand 102(Supplement 406):14–23
Wolke D, Bilgin A, Samara M (2017) Systematic review and meta-analysis: fussing and crying durations and prevalence of colic in infants. J Pediatr 185:55–61.e54. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpeds.2017.02.020
Wurmser H, Laubereau B, Hermann M, Papoušek M, von Kries R (2001) Excessive infant crying: often not confined to the first 3 months of age. Early Hum Dev 64:1–6
*Yalçın SS et al (2010) Why are they having infant colic? A nested case-control study. Paediatr Perinat Epidemiol 24:584–596. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-3016.2010.01150.x
Zero-to-Three (2005) Zero to three DC: 0–3R diagnostic classification of mental health and developmental disorders of infancy and early childhood vol Revised Edition. Zero to Three Press, Washington DC
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
For this type of study, formal consent is not required.
Funding
The author was funded by a fellowship granted by the Foundation of German Business (sdw) in collaboration with the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research. The author declares that she has no other financial relationships to disclose and she had complete freedom to direct the analysis and its reporting within the current manuscript without influence from the sponsors. There was no editorial direction or censorship from the sponsors.
Conflicts of interest
The author declares that she has no conflicts of interest.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Petzoldt, J. Systematic review on maternal depression versus anxiety in relation to excessive infant crying: it is all about the timing. Arch Womens Ment Health 21, 15–30 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00737-017-0771-4
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00737-017-0771-4