Maternal perinatal depression and child brain structure at 2-3 years in a South African birth cohort study.

ABSTRACT: Maternal perinatal depression is associated with risk of adverse child developmental outcomes and differences in offspring brain structure. Evidence from low- and middle-income countries is lacking as is an investigation of antenatal, postnatal, and persistent depression in the same sample. In a South African birth cohort, we investigated the effect of antenatal and postpartum maternal depressive symptoms on offspring brain structure at 2-3 years of age. Magnetic resonance imaging was performed, extracting cortical thickness and surface areas in frontal cortex regions of interest and subcortical volumes using FreeSurfer software. Maternal depressive symptoms were measured using the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale and the Beck Depression Inventory II antenatally and at 6-10 weeks, 6 m

SUBMITTER: Pellowski JA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10027817 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature