The combined impact of infant colic and maternal depression on infant, parent, and family difficulties was examined. The sample included 93 consecutive patients seen at an outpatient Colic Clinic. Most mothers had private insurance and completed high school. Infants were approximately 2 months of age. Questionnaires completed by the mother prior to treatment onset were used to measure depressive symptoms in the mothers, infant cry, sleep and temperament, characteristics, parenting stress, maternal self-esteem, social support, and family function. Moderate to severe depressive symptoms were reported by 45.2% of the mothers. More severe depressive symptoms in the mothers were related to fussy/difficult infant temperament, more parenting stress, lower parental self-esteem, and more family-functioning problems. Pediatric health care providers need to be aware that the combined effects of colic and maternal depression can be problematic for the family.
RESUMEN: Este estudio examina la combinacio ´n del impacto que el co ´lico del infante y la depresio ´n materna tienen en el infante, y las dificultades de la familia y la madre. El grupo muestra estuvo compuesto de 93 pacientes que fueron atendidas consecutivamente en una clı ´nica especializada en co ´licos, para pacientes externos. La mayorı ´a de las madres tenı ´an cobertura privada de seguro me ´dico y habı ´an terminado la secundaria. Los infantes tenı ´an aproximadamente dos meses de edad. Los cuestionarios respondidos por las madres antes de comenzar el tratamiento se usaron para medir sı ´ntomas depresivos en las madres, el llanto del infante, suen ˜o y temperamento, caracterı ´sticas, la tensio ´n producida por la crianza, This study was supported in part by a grant from the Gerber Foundation.