Studies Show that Maternal Depression Can Lead to Emotional Eating in Children

Up to 25% of mothers suffer from postpartum depression after giving birth, which can have a significant impact on their parenting behavior and the well-being of their children. A new study from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign examines the long-term effects of early maternal depression on offspring and highlights the need to provide adequate support to mothers who may be struggling.

How Maternal Depression and Childhood Overeating are Linked

“We wanted to examine how early postpartum maternal depression might affect children’s executive functioning and emotional overeating, focusing on the psychological mechanisms driving these effects,” said lead author Samantha Iwinski, a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies at Illinois. “Emotional eating is about using food to cope with stress or emotions, rather than using food to satisfy hunger. Rather than seeing food as a source of nourishment or enjoyment, it becomes a coping strategy for negative emotions. When children are unable to talk about their emotions or show how they really feel, they may respond to a stressful situation by getting themselves something to eat,” said Iwinski.

The study involved families participating in the Midwest STRONG Kids2 project, which is studying how individual biology interacts with the family environment to promote healthy eating habits in young children. Mothers completed questionnaires to assess postpartum depression at six weeks, children’s emotional functioning at 24 months, and children’s eating behaviors at 48 months. The researchers analyzed the data using the biopsychosocial path model, which describes how the interaction between biological, psychological and social factors affects health, including appetite self-regulation. They focused on postpartum depression as a critical social factor that predicts children’s emotional overeating, mediated by emotional and cognitive psychological processes.

“In their sample, nearly 12% of mothers met the criteria for postpartum depression, and the researchers found that at six weeks postpartum, maternal depression negatively affected children’s executive functions of inhibition and emotional control at 24 months and overeating at 48 months. Inhibition, according to the researchers, includes the ability to control one’s attention, behavior, and thoughts. This may include doing what is appropriate in a given situation, which may include going against one’s inner predispositions. For example, if a child is doing their homework and the TV is on, they can focus their attention on the homework rather than the TV. Emotional control is about being able to self-regulate when certain situations arise; for example, crying in response to stress can help.

Healthy Strategies for Managing Emotions

In addition to the indirect effects on eating behavior through executive function, there was also a direct correlation between maternal depression and overeating in children. Mothers suffering from postpartum depression may be less responsive to their children’s cognitive and emotional needs, which can affect healthy development and the ability to self-regulate. Women with symptoms of postpartum depression may also suffer from appetite swings and transfer this behavior to their children. The researchers say their findings underscore the need for early intervention and support for women suffering from depression.

According to the researchers, it is important to recognize early on what might happen to help families teach their children healthy strategies for managing emotions, such as playing, mindfulness, or even just talking about our feelings. Teachers and other supportive adults can also get involved in helping children and families. For example, they can look at eating habits, how children react in certain situations, and whether food might be a coping mechanism for them. They can then use this information to talk about other ways of dealing with emotions and get the family more involved in the conversation.