An complex of damaging physical and psychosocial effects follow from household food insecurity among young children. While differences in food intake per se are certainly one mechanism through which insecurity affects child wellbeing, data from both less and more developed countries suggest additional pathways to differential wellbeing involving household structure & caregiver functioning. This study tested maternal depression as a mediator of relations between food insecurity and higher inflammation, a marker for higher pathogen exposure, in young children from an urban center in North Central Tanzania. Maternal depression was associated with food insecurity, and partially but not wholly mediated the effect of food insecurity on children's inflammation. Implications are discussed for future research and practice.