This longitudinal study is part of a series examining the relationships between maternal
mood, feeding practices, and infant growth and development during the first 6 months of life
in 226 well-nourished mother-infant dyads in Barbados. In this report, we assessed maternal
moods (General Adjustment and Morale Scale and Zung Depression and Anxiety Scales),
feeding practices (scales describing breast-feeding and other practices associated with infant
feeding in this setting), and infant cognitive development (Griffiths Mental Development
Scales). Multivariate analyses, with and without controlling for background variables,
established significant relationships between maternal moods and infant cognitive development. Infants of mothers with mild–moderate depression had lower Griffiths scores
than infants of mothers without depression. Maternal depressive symptoms and lack of trust
at 7 weeks predicted lower infant social and performance scores at 3 months. Maternal
moods at 6 months were associated with lower scores in motor development at the same age.
Although no independent relationships emerged between feeding practices and infant
cognitive development, the combination of diminished infant feeding intensity and maternal
depression predicted delays in infant social development. These findings demonstrate the
need to carefully monitor maternal moods during the postpartum period, in order to
maximize the benefits of breast-feeding and related health programs to infant cognitive
development.