Many new moms report smoking, depression

PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 28 (UPI) -- A study of almost 5,000 new mostly single U.S. mothers has found 89 percent reported a major depressive episode during the prior 12 months.

Data for the analysis came from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study of 4,898 mothers in 20 U.S. cities, who were surveyed from 1998 to 2000 after the birth of their child. In a follow-up survey 15 months later, the 12-month prevalence of a major depressive episode was 46 percent higher among smokers.

Smoking and depression often go hand-in-hand for new mothers, Temple University researcher Dr. Robert Whitaker said.

"While smoking and depression adversely affect a mother's health, the combination may also affect the health of her child," Whitaker said in a statement. "Giving a mother who smokes the telephone number to a 'quit line' is probably not going to be enough if smoking is helping the mother cope with her symptoms of untreated depression."

The findings are published in the journal Preventive Medicine.