Mothers' depression and children's asthma

Children whose mothers are depressed may suffer more with their asthma. Researchers from Johns Hopkins Children's Center analysed data from interviews with 262 African-American women whose children suffered from the condition, which African-Americans are known to be particularly vulnerable to. They found that when the mothers were more depressed their children's symptoms worsened. However, worsening symptoms among the children did not lead to more depression in the mothers. The researchers thought that the women might become less effective at managing their children's condition - by making sure they took the right amount of medicine at the right times - the worse their depression got.

You can find out more about this research at

http://psychcentral.com/news/2009/11/23/maternal-depression-can-stress-childs-health/9729.html