In the July issue of Pediatrics they reported on a study (“Paternal Depressive Symptoms During Pregnancy Are Related to Excessive Infant Crying”) that shows how dad’s depressed state during pregnancy can be linked to their newborn baby crying excessively. Here is the conclusion of the study in their own words:

CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that paternal depressive symptoms during pregnancy might be a risk factor for excessive infant crying. This finding could be related to genetic transmission, interaction of a father with lasting depressive symptoms with the infant, or related indirectly through contextual stressors such as marital, familial, or economic distress.

My conclusion: Unless you want to be really depressed dad, be positive and upbeat during your wife’s pregnancy!

Link to report: Pediatrics

SOURCES: Mijke P. van den Berg, M.D., Ph.D., Departments of Psychiatry/Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Jon Shaw, M.D., professor and director, child and adolescent psychiatry, University of Miami Miller of School of Medicine, Miami; July 2009 Pediatrics