Prenatal and postnatal depressive symptoms, infant white matter, and toddler behavioral problems.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Maternal depression is prevalent during and following pregnancy and is related to adverse outcomes in offspring. Perinatal depression is associated with risk for difficulties in offspring; however, the mechanisms underlying this association are not clear. We examined whether maternal prenatal and postnatal depressive symptoms were associated with infant white matter organization and with behavioral problems in toddlerhood.

Methods

37 mother-infant dyads (20 male; ages 5.95-7.66 months) participated in this study. We conducted diffusion MRI with infants during natural sleep. Mothers reported on their prenatal and postnatal depressive symptoms at six months postpartum. We calculated fractional anisotropy (FA), radial, axial, and mean diffusivity, and assessed offspr

SUBMITTER: Borchers LR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7889716 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature