Seeking help sooner is better for mums and kids, suggests maternal health study

There is a higher risk of behavioural problems and poor development with the babies of mothers who suffer from long-term depression, suggest the findings of a study that analysed depression levels in 892 mothers and the development and behaviour of 978 children.

The research was led by University of Queensland researchers who used data from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health, in the study published in the Journal of Paediatric and Perinatal Epidemiology.

They compared maternal depression before, during and after pregnancy, and found duration was more influential than timing.

Researcher Dr Katrina Moss said the study found one in five women experienced depression once, while 11 per cent experienced a reoccurrence.

"The longer a mother suffered maternal depression, the worse the outcomes for the child," Dr Moss said.