Psychotherapy During Pregnancy Reduces Infant Brain Differences
Psychotherapy during pregnancy may mitigate the association between maternal depression and structural differences in infant brains, according to a recent study published in Nature Communications and reported by Discover Magazine. Pregnant participants who experienced depressive symptoms and completed eight weekly sessions of interpersonal psychotherapy gave birth to infants who showed subtle structural brain differences and less negative emotional responses compared to infants whose mothers received standard obstetric care.
Research has long shown that depression during pregnancy is associated with differences in children’s emotional and behavioral outcomes, but most of that evidence has been correlational,
said Catherine Demers, a psychiatrist at the University of Colorado Anschutz and co-author of the study.
Perinatal depression affects at least 1 in 7 pregnant people, according to data from the National Library of Medicine. Many cases remain undiagnosed due to stigma surrounding the condition. The new study aimed to determine whether active intervention during pregnancy could directly influence infant development, moving beyond observational correlations to a randomized controlled trial design.
Brain imaging shows no changes in infants
The study originated from the Care Project, a clinical trial tracking women with depressive symptoms. Participants were randomly assigned to receive either eight weekly sessions of interpersonal psychotherapy or standard obstetric care supplemented by a single psychoeducation session about prenatal depression, alongside referrals to mental health resources.
Researchers used brain imaging when the infants reached six weeks of age to evaluate specific regions linked to emotional regulation: the left and right hippocampus and the amygdala. The imaging revealed no measurable changes in the infants’ left hippocampi or amygdalae. However, the right hippocampi showed a small change, measuring roughly 5 percent smaller in children whose mothers participated in psychotherapy.
At six months of age, the infants completed a laboratory assessment measuring their reactions to a moving and noisy robot. Researchers interpreted more negative reactions as higher negative emotionality. A smaller right hippocampus correlated with increased negative emotionality during this lab test. Unexpectedly, having a smaller left hippocampus—which did not appear in the psychotherapy group—also correlated with negative emotionality.
Small sample size may affect study results
The study authors noted that inconsistent results across different brain regions may stem from measuring infant brain structures at an early developmental stage or working with an insufficient sample size. The analysis also found no statistical link between the trajectory of the participants' depression or anxiety during pregnancy and any specific features of their babies' brains. The authors acknowledged that this lack of correlation may surprise readers, attributing it to the small sample size.
This study highlights pregnancy as a critical window for intervention and reinforces that supporting maternal mental health is also an investment in child health,
said Elysia Davis, a psychologist at the University of Denver and co-author of the study.
How common is depression during pregnancy?
How common is depression during pregnancy?
Perinatal depression affects at least 1 in 7 pregnant people, according to statistics from the National Library of Medicine. Many instances go undiagnosed because of stigma associated with mental health conditions during pregnancy.
What specific brain regions did researchers examine in the infants?
Researchers used brain imaging at six weeks of age to assess the left and right hippocampus and the amygdala, which are brain areas closely linked to emotional regulation.
What intervention did participants receive in the clinical trial?
Participants in the treatment arm received eight weekly sessions of interpersonal psychotherapy, while the comparison group received standard obstetric care enhanced with a single psychoeducation session and mental health resource signposting.