The arrival of a baby is usually synonymous with great joy, but pregnancy is not always well lived. Some women experience depression during this time or after childbirth. Symptoms to watch out for and especially treat, because they could cause changes in their child’s brain.
In a study published in Biological Psychiatry, researchers at the University of Calgary in Canada followed 52 pregnant women and their children. They detected possible signs of depression in the former during each trimester of their pregnancy and then a few months after giving birth. Between the ages of two and a half and five, children’s brains were scanned by Magnetic Resonance Imaging.
A thinner cortex in children of depressed mothers
Those whose mothers suffered a depressive episode during the second trimester of pregnancy or after childbirth have a thinner cortex than others. This part of the brain manages complex thoughts and behaviors. The temporal and frontal areas, involved in the inhibition of behavior and the control of attention, are particularly affected. White matter fibers, the substance that connects different parts of the brain to each other, also undergo changes.
All of these changes in the structure of the brain expose children to learning difficulties or behavioral problems. In addition, these changes are also seen in children who are depressed or at high risk for depression. This could indicate that depression in pregnant women increases the child’s vulnerability to this condition.
“Our findings underscore the importance of monitoring mothers’ mental health, not only in the postpartum period, but also during pregnancy,” said Catherine Lebel, who led the study.
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