A friend of mine on FB commented on an article at MSN Now this morning. The title of the article? “Study links mother’s depression with shorter kids.”
Um. ‘Scuse me?
Apparently, researchers at Johns Hopkins, clearly with nothing better to do, filled their time reviewing up to 6500 mother/child dyads to discover that children of mothers with depression of the postpartum variety were 40% more likely to have children of shorter stature. Their grand conclusion? “We don’t know why the hell this happens, it clears up by the time the kid’s 5, and well, moms with Postpartum Depression need support.”
Can we just file this under “Shit I didn’t need to worry about and well, DUH?”
Because.
Sighs.
Dear Researchers – if you’re going to bother to study something associated with Postpartum Mood & Anxiety Disorders? PLEASE make sure it matters and serves a purpose other than to make us worry about something that, well, frankly, isn’t worrisome. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with kids of a shorter stature and to blame it on depression is just an anxiety attack waiting to happen because yanno what? When you have Postpartum Mood Disorders, you worry about the stupid stuff like this. So thanks. No, really, thanks.
My Postpartum Voice 
This is such bullshit and a waste of time and $. Period. Also? Could these funds not have been used to raise awareness among other mothers (who could support those suffering) or medical professionals who interact with moms and might have a chance at making a difference in their health. Grrr….
Lauren I see things like this all the time! I don’t even read the entire story anymore because I know it’s total crap! It would be nice if they focused their research in better areas :)
That’s pretty funny since I’m depressed but my kids are actually very tall for their ages. Yikes.
Do these ‘Researchers’ know how women with Postnatal depression worry about everything, and blame themselves for each and every little problem their child has? This is so irresponsible of them really, putting such an article out there. Stupid is more like it.
Precisely the same thing I was thinking when I saw the link appear in my FB newsfeed!
I just… I don’t understand why researchers waste their time with this kind of infantile and non-useful study. It doesn’t do any good. FOR ANYONE.
My son is 15 and six foot one…..um…..NOT WORRIED!! *SHAKING MY HEAD*
You ARE SO RIGHT ABOUT THIS ONE!!!
Maybe they are afraid folks will follow our children around singing “Short People”?!? I don’t get it!!
I had the exact same thoughts you expressed above when I saw that “news.” Thanks for sharing!