Treating Depression in Pregnancy Influences Infant Brain Development

FRIDAY, Oct. 23, 2026 (HealthDay News) -- Treating depression with interpersonal psychotherapy during pregnancy influences infant brain development and early emotional function, according to a study published online Oct. 16 in Nature Medicine.Catherine H. Demers, Ph.D., from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora, and colleagues conducted an observational follow-up study to examine brain development and subsequent negative emotionality among 109 infants born to mothers participating in a randomized trial of interpersonal psychotherapy during pregnancy. Exploratory infant outcomes included hippocampal and amygdala volume, assessed at 6 weeks of age, and negative emotionality, measured at 6 months old.The researchers found that compared with infants of mothers in the enhanced usual-care group, infants of mothers randomly assigned to interpersonal psychotherapy during pregnancy had lower right hippocampal volume. Left hippocampal and amygdala volume did not differ significantly between the groups. Subsequent lower negative emotionality was predicted by smaller hippocampal volume."Our findings suggest that treating mother's depression during pregnancy may help shape a healthier developmental trajectory for the infant brain," coauthor Elysia Poggi Davis, Ph.D., from the University of Denver, said in a statement. "This study highlights pregnancy as a critical window for intervention and reinforces that supporting maternal mental health is also an investment in child health."Abstract/Full Text.Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter

Treating Depression in Pregnancy Influences Infant Brain Development

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