Effect of maternal depression and anxiety on use of health services for infants.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the association between postpartum maternal depressive symptoms or maternal anxiety and health services utilization (HSU) for infants. DESIGN Telephone survey. SETTING London-Middlesex region of Ontario. PARTICIPANTS Mothers of infants 2 to 12 months of age between 2004 and 2005 (N = 655). This sample was drawn from a larger longitudinal cohort of mothers recruited during pregnancy. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Maternal depressive symptoms were measured using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. Anxiety was measured using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Infant HSU outcomes included number of primary care provider (PCP) visits for infants < 6 months of age, number of PCP visits for infants 6 to 12 months of age, emergency department (ED) use, and walk-in clinic (WIC) use. RESULTS Multivariable regression methods were used to compare HSU for infants. After adjustment for confounders, no significant associations were observed between postpartum maternal depressive symptoms and PCP visits, ED use, or WIC use. Similarly, no significant associations were observed for maternal anxiety and PCP visits, ED use, or WIC use. CONCLUSION In contrast to some previous studies, this study found no association between postpartum maternal depressive symptoms or anxiety and HSU for infants.