Prenatal Depression Alters Child's Brain Connectivity, Affects Behavior, Says Study

Altered brain connectivity may be one way prenatal depression influences child behavior, said new study.

Altered brain connectivity may mediate prenatal depression's influence on child behavior, revealed study published in JNeurosci.

Up to one fifth of women experience depression symptoms during pregnancy, with unknown effects on the fetus. Prenatal depression is correlated with behavioral and developmental issues in the child, as well as an increased risk of developing depression at age 18. But how prenatal depression leads to these changes remains unclear.

Young Pregnant Women More Likely to Have Prenatal Depression
Today's young pregnant women may be at higher risk of developing prenatal depression than their mothers. Chronic stress, sleep deprivation, eating habits, sedentary lifestyle, and the fast pace of modern life may increase the prevalence of depression among younger expecting mothers.

Hay et al. studied 54 mother/child pairs. Mothers answered a survey about their depression symptoms at several points during their pregnancy. The research team employed diffusion MRI, an imaging technique that reveals the strength of structural connections between brain regions, to examine the children's white matter.

Greater prenatal depression symptoms were associated with weaker white matter connections between brain regions involved in emotional processing. This change could lead to dysregulated emotional states in the children and may explain why the children of depressed mothers have a higher risk of developing depression themselves. The weakened white matter was associated with increased aggression and hyperactivity in the male children.

Source-Eurekalert

Severity Of Mother�s Depression During Pregnancy Causes Autism And ADHD
Exposure to antidepressant drugs during pregnancy does not increase the risk for autism and ADHD. It’s the severity of mother’s depression that increases the risk.

Quiz on Depression
The World Health Organization reports that depression is one of the main causes of disability affecting about 121 million people worldwide. More tragically, it claims around 850,000 lives every year. Hence, it is important that we understand this affliction to help ourselves or our loved ones to cope and, hopefully, resolve it. How well do you know the facts about depression? Take this quiz and find out.

How to Handle Depression
Few tips that could help you to manage depression. It is ok to be moody once in a while but if you feel moody for a longer period of time then it could be depression.

TOP INSIGHT

New study highlights the need for better prenatal care to recognize and treat prenatal depression in order to support the mother and the child's development.