Teasing play in infancy: Comparing mothers with and without self-reported depressed mood during play with their babies

Research suggests that some forms of maternal play can be interpreted positively leading to healthy development or have negative effects leading to emotional and cognitive vulnerability in children and adolescents. The purpose of this study is to relate maternal mood state to mothers' play interactions with their infants and the infants' emotional reactions to these play interactions. Fifteen mothers reporting depressed mood (as measured by the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale [EDPS]; mean = 12.6) and their infants (mean age 7.9 months [range 5 – 11 months], 2 girls, 13 boys) and 15 non-depressed mothers (EPDS mean = 4.4) were video-taped in their homes while playing with their infants (mean age 6.7months [range 6 – 10 months], 8 girls, 7 boys) using a soft toy. Maternal and infant touch behaviours, as well as gaze and emotional expressions were coded frame by frame. There was an association between psychological well-being and touch behaviour by mothers as well as gaze-direction and emotional expressions by their infants. Non-depressed mothers nestled the toy into the baby significantly more frequently compared with mothers reporting depressed mood. Infants of mothers with depressed mood looked significantly less frequently at their mothers and showed significantly more negative expressions than infants of non-depressed mothers. These differences in maternal play interactions indicate that mothers with depressed mood play with their babies in such a way as to elicit negative emotional reactions as well as gaze avoidance from their baby. The effects of infant gender on maternal behaviour are also discussed.