One hundred-thirty-nine women participated in this longitudinal study from the third trimester of pregnancy through 8-months postpartum. Women completed depression scales at several time points and rated their infant's characteristics and childcare stress at 2-and 6-months postpartum. Mothers' reports of infant temperament were significantly different for depressed and non-depressed mothers, with depressed mothers reporting more difficult infants at both measurement points. These differences remained after controlling for histories of maternal abuse or prenatal anxiety, which occurred more often in the depressed mothers. There were no significant differences in childcare stress or perceived support between the groups. Infant temperament and childcare stress did not change over time. Recommendations for practice include consistent ongoing evaluations of the "goodness of fit" within the dyad and exploring interventions for depressed mothers that provide guidance about interactions with their infants and the appropriateness of the infant behaviors. Keywords maternal; infant; temperament; depression; stress; parenting Postpartum depression has the potential for long lasting effects for both the mother and the infant. No one schema for describing the etiology and presentation for postpartum depression has been identified. What is known is that many different risk factors have been found to be at least moderately correlated with the presentation of postpartum depression (Beck, 2006). Included in these are a history of depression (preconception or prenatal), high stress level, high anxiety, and little or no social support. Although no single factor can be attributed to predicating postpartum depression, the combination of factors does seem very important in understanding both the short and long term outcomes as well as what strategies might be best for intervention.Caring for a newborn can be a joyous event that comes with new responsibilities and burdens often related to juggling the needs of the child with the personal needs of the mother and family. Most mothers assimilate these new responsibilities with the other tasks of daily living. As the assimilation occurs, synchronicity in the mother-infant relationship develops (Coplan O'Neil, & Arbeau, 2005;Rothbart, & Bates, 1998). Synchronicity in this relationship supports optimal growth and development for the child (Jacobson & Melvin, 1995;Rothbart, & Bates, 1998). However, for the mother with postpartum Lead and Corresponding Author: Dr. Jacqueline McGrath, School of Nursing, Virginia Commonwealth University, PO BOX 980567, Richmond, VA 23298, jmmcgrath@vcu.edu, (804) 828 -1930 Office, (804) 828 -7743 Fax. Note: This research was conducted in accordance with APA ethical standards in the treatment of the study sample.Publisher's Disclaimer: This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetti...

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Despite the growing body of evidence on the significance of postpartum depression, little research has explored the contribution of lifetime or current abuse to postpartum depression. One hundred-thirty-nine women were assessed during their third trimester of pregnancy and followed for 2, 4, 6, and 8 months postpartum for abuse status and depression symptoms. Predictors of postpartum depression were also assessed. Few women reported current abuse experiences, although 37% reported having lifetime physical or sexual abuse or both. Women with a lifetime history of abuse were 3.6-8.4 times more likely to experience postpartum depression than their nonabused peers at each measurement time. This effect steadily increases during the first 6 months after birth and decreases at the 8th month. These findings extend recent reports of the chronicity of abuse and have implications for care providers. The standard of care for abuse assessments may need to be expanded to include consideration of lifetime physical and sexual abuse experiences of pregnant and postpartum women.

Obesity is recognized as one of the most important underlying risk factors for a wide variety of diseases, including heart disease and diabetes. Women are particularly prone to obesity, and approaches that address life transitions across the life span suggest that a number of factors may converge at passage points, such as menopause, that contribute to weight accumulation in the aging woman. The menopausal phase of a woman's life brings a number of changes that may trigger and maintain weight gain. Although the prevalence of overweight and obesity is attributable to each of these factors, it is most likely the interaction among multiple factors that determines an individual's propensity for excess energy intake, sedentary behavior, patterns of fat distribution, and risk of developing obesity. The problem of weight change and obesity in perimenopausal women is best understood from an ecological perspective that can integrate the analysis of factors across levels, from the culture and built environment of the community to family-related factors to individual factors, such as subjective norms, values, attitudes, and beliefs, and biological/genetic predispositions. This review describes the literature relevant to weight change during perimenopause using a multilevel perspective and recommends future directions for the development of translational weight management research to meet the unique needs of women.

Identification of women at risk for postpartum depression requires reliable and valid assessment indices. The purpose of this article is to describe the psychometric properties of the Postpartum Depression Predictors Inventory-Revised (PDPI-R). Psychometric assessment of the PDPI-R was conducted in conjunction with the Centers for Epidemiologic Studies Depressed Mood Scale, and the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, using data from 139 pregnant women who were followed for 8 months after birth. The prenatal PDPI-R demonstrated concept, concurrent, and predictive validity. The postpartum PDPI-R demonstrated concurrent validity. Factor analysis revealed four underlying factors that did not match the original conceptualization of the instrument. Reliability of the total score resulting from the factor analysis was .83. Initial support for the reliability and validity of the PDPI-R was indicated.