Depression in Babies

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), more than one in 20 Americans over the age of 12 are depressed. But when your little baby seems sad, is it actually possible she's depressed? Maybe so. It is important that all parents be armed with information about depression in babies and toddlers.

Can Babies Get Depressed?

• Even though babies can't tell us how they are feeling, scientists say they can detect signs of depression in babies as young as six months of age. Dr. Jess Shatkin, director of education and training at New York University's Child Study Center estimates around one in 40 babies suffers from depression.

Risk Factors

• Doctors believe the risk of a baby or child being depressed is about three times higher if he has a parent who is depressed. Additionally, babies growing up in stressful environments are more likely to suffer from depression.

Symptoms

• In infants and toddlers, signs of depression include lack of interaction with others, staring or averted gaze, lack of responsiveness, lack of interest in their environment, what might be called "sad" facial expressions, expressing little emotion, slow movement, feeding problems, sleeping problems, irritability, and attachment difficulties with parents or care givers.

  However, not every depressed baby will display these symptoms, and rarely will all the symptoms be present. In addition, these symptoms could also point to other physical problems your pediatrician should explore.

Diagnosis

• Generally speaking, if the symptoms remain for at least three months, and no physical reason for them can be found, depression might be suspected. At that point, psychological testing may be obtained.

Treatment

• The area of depression in infancy is relatively new territory, and not all pediatricians recognize it. However, some experts on depression, including author and counselor Beth McHugh, say "it can be beneficial for both mother and infant to spend time apart for a part of each week, so that both may benefit from interacting with others. In the case of the seemingly depressed infant, this approach could be crucial to their subsequent social and emotional development." This is especially true if the mother is also depressed.

  In addition to giving the child "space," a counselor will try to pinpoint any non-chemical reasons your baby is depressed and try to resolve them. For example, if the mother is depressed, the counselor will encourage her to seek out treatment, or if there is unusual tension in the household, the counselor will try to help the family resolve it.

  Antidepressants are not used for babies or toddlers.