📖 ABSTRACT/OVERVIEW
Background: Maternal mental health is a recognised determinant of early childhood cognitive development, but prospective longitudinal evidence from Northern Nigeria remains a critical knowledge gap. This study examines the longitudinal impact of maternal mental health on child cognitive development in a birth cohort established in Kaduna State, North West geopolitical zone. Methodology: A birth cohort study enrolled 400 mother-infant pairs at delivery and followed them to 36 months postpartum. Maternal mental health was assessed at six, twelve, and twenty-four months using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale and the WHO-5 Wellbeing Index. Child cognitive development was assessed at 24 and 36 months using the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development-Third Edition. Multilevel longitudinal regression modelled the association across time points. Results: Persistent maternal depression at six and twelve months was independently associated with lower cognitive development scores at 36 months, adjusting for maternal education, household income, and breastfeeding duration. Chronicity of depression was a stronger predictor than severity at any single time point. Social support buffered the negative cognitive impact among children of depressed mothers. Conclusion: Maternal mental health across the first two years postpartum has a significant longitudinal influence on child cognitive development in Kaduna State. Family medicine-led postnatal care programmes must integrate maternal mental health screening and treatment within mother-child health services. Keywords: maternal mental health, child cognitive development, birth cohort, Kaduna State, longitudinal
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