Effects of Depressed Mothers on Infants
             In studying disturbed interactions of depressed mothers and their newborns, it has helped us realize the importance of early interactions with infants that can effect later development. Infants who interact with depressed mothers (particularly chronically depressed mothers) have a higher risk for later negative social interaction and behavioral problems.
             Depressed behavior in mothers is related to affective and disturbances in infants (Abrams, Field, Scafidi, & Prodromidis, 1995). Depressed mothers and their infants also appear to share negative affective behavior states more often than non-depressed dyads (Abrams, et al,1995). Along with exhibiting fewer positive facial expressions, infants of depressed mothers vocalize less frequently than infants of non-depressed mothers. Videotapes of depressed mothers and their infants interacting in face-to-face situations when coded second by second suggest that depressed mothers spend less time looking at their infants, touching them and talking to them, and they show few positive faces and more negative faces (Field, 1995). Because of this, infants have lower activity levels as well as less vocalization. They also tend to look away more frequently with a weary look, and protest more often.
             To measure their behavior-state matching the attentive/affective behavior states of three-month-old infants and their mothers were coded on a negative-to-positive scale (Field, 1995). The data suggested that the depressed mothers and their infants matched negative behavior states more often and less positive behavior states less often than the non-depressed dyads. The depressed dyads spent a greater amount of time together in negative states. In contrast, the non-depressed mother-infant dyads spent more time in playful states together. The infants of depressed mothers' greater emphasis to their mothers' negative behavior imply that the infants may be ...