Depression and anger in fathers of unsettled infants: A community cohort study

Cook, Fallon; Giallo, Rebecca; Petrovic, Zvezdana; Coe, Amy; Seymour, Monique; Cann, Warren

doi:10.1111/jpc.13311

Cited by 29 publications

(39 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…Despite decades of research, we still do not understand the cause, or causes, of infant colic. Previous research has suggested that maternal anxiety and depression are associated with infant colic, as well as paternal depression . A previous study by our group demonstrated that mothers with migraine were more than twice as likely to have a baby with colic, and another study similarly found an association between maternal migraine and infant colic .…”

Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 55%

“…To be able to adjust for potential confounding, several comorbidities known to be associated both with infant colic and with migraine in adults were assessed by self‐report …”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Given the observations to date indicating an association between migraine and infant colic, in this study we aimed to determine whether the previously observed association between maternal migraine and infant colic could be replicated in a larger U.S. sample and to explore the relationship between paternal migraine and infant colic. We hypothesized that: mothers with migraine would be more likely to have a baby with colic—and that this association would hold after adjusting for other factors known to be associated both with migraine and infant colic, eg, parental depression and/or anxiety; mothers with migraine with aura would be less likely than those without aura to have an infant with colic, given that in the Finnish prospective adolescent cohort study colic was associated with development of migraine without aura, but not migraine with aura, by age 18; there would be a “dose‐response” in that mothers with higher migraine frequency would be more likely to have an infant with colic; and the above would also hold true for fathers. …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

The Association Between Parental Migraine and Infant Colic: A Cross‐Sectional, Web‐Based, U.S. Survey Study

et al. 2019

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Background.-Infant colic, or excessive crying in an otherwise healthy infant, is common, although the cause(s) are not known. This study aimed to determine whether parental migraine is associated with infant colic. Methods.-This was a cross-sectional online survey study of biological parents of 4-8 week olds in the United States during February and March 2017 and October 2017-April 2018. Parents self-reported information about their and their infant's health using validated instruments wherever possible. Parents were recruited using social media advertisements and completed the survey online. Migraine was identified with a validated screener using modified International Classification of Headache Disorders 3rd edition criteria. Parental depression and anxiety were screened with the Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ-2) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale-2 (GAD-2). Parental seasonal allergies and asthma were assessed by selfreport. Infant colic was determined based on parental response to the question, "Has your baby cried for at least 3 hours on at least 3 days in the last week?" Results.-A total of 1,715 surveys were completed over 2 recruitment periods; 1,419 formed the analysis set. Eight hundred twenty-seven were completed by biological mothers and 592 by biological fathers. Mean (SD) maternal age: 28.9 (5.1) years; 33.5% had migraine/probable migraine. Maternal migraine was associated with increased odds of infant colic: OR 1.7 (1.3-2.4). Among mothers with migraine, headache frequency ≥15 days/month was associated with higher risk of infant colic (OR 2. 5 (1.2-5.3)); and anxiety was borderline associated (OR 1.7 (1.0-2.9)). Mean (SD) paternal age was 31.6 (4.5) years; 20.8% had migraine/probable migraine. Paternal migraine was not associated with infant colic: OR 1.0 (0.7-1.5). Fathers with depression (OR 2.4 (1.4-4.3)) or anxiety (OR 1.7 (1.1-2.7)) were more likely to have a baby with colic but having a girl infant was protective: (OR 0.7 (0.5-0.97)).Conclusions.-Mothers with migraine are more likely to have a baby with colic, while fathers with migraine are not. Further research is needed to determine the mechanisms underlying these findings. In the meantime, clinicians may wish to counsel parents with a maternal history of migraine about the increased possibility of having a colicky infant and provide resources and education about infant crying.

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Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 55%

“…To be able to adjust for potential confounding, several comorbidities known to be associated both with infant colic and with migraine in adults were assessed by self‐report …”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

The Association Between Parental Migraine and Infant Colic: A Cross‐Sectional, Web‐Based, U.S. Survey Study

et al. 2019

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“…Given the proportion of women with infants admitted to REPS annually in Australia, the problems documented here might be being experienced by thousands of Australian men (Fisher et al, 2011). However, the data also have implications for the approximately 300,000 men who have babies each year (Bayer, Hiscock, Hampton, & Wake, 2007), particularly, if their infants are unsettled (Cook et al, 2016;Smart & Hiscock, 2007). If women consult health service providers for their own psychological needs or unsettled behaviours among their infants, then routine assessment of the father's health should be considered and family-focused psycho-educational interventions recommended.…”

Section: Implications For Health Service Providersmentioning

confidence: 84%

“…However, the psychological needs of men whose partners and infants are admitted to REPS are poorly understood. While fathers of unsettled young infants report significantly poorer mental health than fathers whose infants are not unsettled (Cook et al, 2016;Smart & Hiscock, 2007), it is not known to what extent poor mental health associated with UIB persists beyond the early postpartum period.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Psychological Distress, Alcohol Use, Fatigue, Sleepiness, and Sleep Quality: An Exploratory Study Among Men Whose Partners Are Admitted to a Residential Early Parenting Service

Wynter

Wilson

Thean³

et al. 2019

Australian Psychologist

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Objective: In Australia, residential early parenting services (REPS) provide structured, psycho-educational programs for unsettled infant behaviour and associated maternal difficulties. Thus far, most studies have focused on the psychological functioning of women admitted to these services; few studies have investigated the mental health of their male partners and none have used standardised measures to assess alcohol use, fatigue, sleepiness, and sleep quality. The aim of this exploratory survey was to assess mental health problems, alcohol use, and sleep-related functioning among men whose partners and infants were admitted to a privately funded REPS. Method: Male partners of women admitted to an REPS in Melbourne, Australia, during a 5-month period completed surveys including selfreport measures of depression, anxiety, stress, irritability, alcohol use, fatigue, sleepiness, and sleep quality. Surveys were completed by 53 men; mean age was 36 years. Mean scores on standardised instruments were compared with normative or comparison data. The proportions of participants scoring in the clinical range on each measure are reported. Results: Mean scores on measures of stress, irritability, fatigue, sleepiness, and sleep quality were significantly worse than norms for healthy adults. Fifty-one percent of men screened positive for alcohol misuse; 53% reported clinically significant fatigue and 82% scored in the clinical range for poor sleep quality. Conclusions: This study provides preliminary evidence that men whose partners are admitted to an REPS may have impaired psychological and sleep-related functioning, which might affect interactions with their partners and infants. Service enhancement to assess and address the needs of men is indicated.What is already known on this topic

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Expanding the international conversation with fathers’ mental health: toward an era of inclusion in perinatal research and practice

Fisher

Gómez

Figueiredo

et al. 2021

Arch Womens Ment Health

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Depression and anger in fathers of unsettled infants: A community cohort study

Abstract: Fathers of unsettled infants reported greater anger towards their infant and increased depressive symptoms by 4 months infant age, with these symptoms persisting 2 months later. Evidence-based interventions are needed for these fathers.

Cited by 29 publications

References 30 publications

The Association Between Parental Migraine and Infant Colic: A Cross‐Sectional, Web‐Based, U.S. Survey Study

The Association Between Parental Migraine and Infant Colic: A Cross‐Sectional, Web‐Based, U.S. Survey Study

Psychological Distress, Alcohol Use, Fatigue, Sleepiness, and Sleep Quality: An Exploratory Study Among Men Whose Partners Are Admitted to a Residential Early Parenting Service

Expanding the international conversation with fathers’ mental health: toward an era of inclusion in perinatal research and practice

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