Receiving psychotherapy for depression while pregnant can influence how your baby’s brain develops—which in turn may influence early emotional development, according to research findings
published in
Nature Communications.
Why It Matters
Many research studies have shown that untreated depression during pregnancy adversely impacts the mental health of the child as well as the mother. The behavioral findings to date are largely correlational, however, and have little supporting neurobiological evidence.
As part of the
Care Project, researchers conducted a randomized trial of pregnant individuals with depression and their babies, including brain scans at six weeks and emotional assessments at six months for the babies.
By the Numbers
- A total of 109 pregnant individuals (50% White, 51% on Medicaid) were randomized to eight weeks of interpersonal psychotherapy or enhanced usual care that included depression education and information on nearby mental health resources.
- At six weeks of age, the babies whose mothers received psychotherapy had on average 5% less volume in the right hippocampus, an inner brain region involved in learning and memory). There was no difference in the left hippocampus between groups, nor in the neighboring amygdala, which is also involved in learning and fear.
- The babies with smaller hippocampi at six weeks tended to demonstrate better emotional regulation at six months.
What’s More
Interestingly, the size of an infant’s hippocampus did not correlate with the degree of depression improvement in the mother. The researchers suggested that in addition to its effects on mood, interpersonal psychotherapy might have altered mothers’ stress, hormonal biology, and/or health behaviors like diet, which then impacted fetal development.
The Other Side
Though the study cohort was racially and socioeconomically diverse, the mothers were recruited from just one metropolitan area (Denver). And while the brain imaging and behavioral tests happened sequentially, each was done at just one point in time.
Takeaway Message
“Our findings suggest that treating mother’s depression during pregnancy may help shape a healthier developmental trajectory for the infant brain,” said co-author Elysia Davis, Ph.D., of the University of Denver in a
news release. “This study highlights pregnancy as a critical window for intervention and reinforces that supporting maternal mental health is also an investment in child health.”
Related Information
Source
Catherine H. Demers, et al. Impact of prenatal maternal depression intervention on infant hippocampal and amygdala development: a randomized clinical trial. Nature Communications. Published October 16, 2026. 10.1038/s41467-026-78276-4
(Image: Getty Images/iStock/pixologicstudio)