Background: Maternal obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) might lead to behavioral problems in children. Given the higher prevalence of eating and sleeping problems in children, the present study investigated the relation between maternal obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) with children’s eating problems and sleep disorders. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was performed on ۷۷ mothers with
children aged ۶ to ۳۶ months in selected clinics in Kerman in fall ۲۰۱۸. The participants were selected using convenience sampling. The data were collected by the completion of three questionnaires: Morell’s Infant Sleep Questionnaire, the Maudsley Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory (MOCI), and the Child Eating Behavior Inventory (ORI-CEBI). The collected data were analyzed using SPSS software (version ۲۰) through independent samples t-test and Pearson correlation. Results: The mean of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) for mothers who reported sleep problems in their
children was significantly higher than the OCD mean score for the mothers whose
children did not have sleep disorders (P=۰.۰۱). Besides, the OCD mean score for the mothers of
children with sleep problems diagnosed according to Richman’s criteria was higher than the OCD mean score for the mothers who did not report any sleep disorders in their children, but there was no significant difference between the two groups (P=۰.۰۹). The mean score of the child’s eating problems was correlated with the mother’s mean OCD score (r=۰.۲), but this correlation was not statistically significant (P=۰.۲۰). The child’s eating problems had a positive significant relation with the child’s sleep problems (P=۰.۰۴). Conclusion: The mother’s perceptions, repetitive negative thoughts, and obsession about her child’s sleeping can probably increase the mother’s active palliative methods and consequently worsen the child’s sleep and eating problems. Therefore, preventive and therapeutic interventions need to be taken for mothers with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).