Medicine
The Impact of Maternal Depression on Early Childhood Immunization Coverage
Quick fact
Studies show that infants of mothers with significant depressive symptoms are up to 20-30% more likely to be under-immunized or delayed in receiving recommended vaccines compared to infants of non-depressed mothers.
Why this is interesting
Every new parent wants to protect their child from disease, but what happens when a parent’s own mental health silently interferes with that protection? Could a mother’s depression be a hidden reason why some children miss vital vaccines?