NEWBORNS OF MOTHERS WITH DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS ARE LESS EXPRESSIVE

The facial expressions of 40 newborns of mothers with depressive sympt oms (n = 20) and of nondepressive mothers (n = 20) were recorded durin g the Brazelton Neonatal Behavior Assessment Scale and during the mode ling of happy, sad, and surprised faces. Infants of mothers with depre ssive symptoms demonstrated inferior performance on the orientation cl uster of the Brazelton scale and showed fewer interest and more precry expressions during the Brazelton. During the facial expression modeli ng, they showed less orientation and fewer facial expressions in respo nse to the modeled happy and surprise facial expressions.