The South London Child Development Study investigated the effects ofmaternal mental illness during and after pregnancy on children'slong-term development. It carried out psychological interviews on 180families at seven points over a 16-year period.
The research found that women who had children in their teens and earlytwenties were more likely to suffer from depression both during andafter pregnancy, and that this partly accounted for the higher rates ofemotional problems in their children.
Research author Cerith Waters said: "It's clear that young mums needmore support, not only after the birth, but before as well."
Jo Webber, senior policy officer at the NHS Confederation, said she wasnot surprised by the findings.
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