Conquering Depression
Adapted from Medicine
at Michigan
What happens to Baby when Mom is depressed?
Delia M. Vazquez and Mark Isaacs (pictured),
one of the children participating in her
study of cortisol levels in infants and
mothers.
Growing up with stress is not healthy for
infants and young children, says Delia M.
Vazquez, M.D., an associate professor of
pediatrics and psychiatry in the U-M Medical
School. Children who live with chronic stress
are more likely to develop depression early
in life. In extreme cases, children even
stop growing until their high-stress environment
is changed.
To learn more about the relationship between
a mother’s depression and development
of the stress hormone system in her infant,
Vazquez is involved in a long term study
of new mothers at U-M Women’s Hospital
who have a high risk of developing depression.
By measuring a stress hormone called cortisol
in saliva, researchers can track the relationship
between a mother’s mood, the personal
interaction with her infant and the normal
development of cortisol levels in her child.
“Cortisol follows a day-and-night
cycle; it is high in the morning and low
at night,” Vazquez explains. “Cortisol
production in depressed patients is high
when it should be low. In contrast, children
living in adverse environments, such as
third world orphanages, have low cortisol
levels when these should be high. We wonder
if a child’s cortisol levels would
be a mirror image of their caretaker. Is
there a set point that is in part genetic
and in part from their early life experience,
beginning during the first year of life?
Can we intervene early to stop a negative
outcome, such as depression? How early?
These are the types of questions we hope
to answer.”
Also:
Conquering
Depression
What’s
the best way to help depressed teens?
What
does stress do to your brain?
Can
primary care docs treat depression?
How
do antidepressants work?
View
original article...
Last updated on:
Friday, 26-Jan-2007 15:00:06 EST
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