Maternal Depression and Child Health: The Need for Holistic Health Policies in Developing Countries

In recent years, much focus has been placed on maternal and child health. The World Health Organization’s theme for this year’s World Health Report is healthy mothers and children. Maternal and child health also figure prominently in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), through which significant gains are expected from developing countries by the year 2015 in areas such as infant malnutrition and mortality, maternal health, poverty, and the perpetuating cycle of female gender disadvantage. While the physical health of women and children is emphasized in international policy guidelines, the mental dimensions of their health are often ignored in developing countries’ domestic policy. However, recent evidence strongly suggests that the mental and physical health of mothers and children are inextricably linked and that the one cannot possibly be achieved without the other. This paper reviews current evidence and suggests directions for policy and research in this area.