Study Finds Treating Depression During Pregnancy May Benefit Babies' Brain Development

First randomized clinical trial finds prenatal psychotherapy changes infant brain structure and is linked to lower negative emotionality in early infancy.

AURORA, Colo., Oct. 16, 2026/PRNewswire/ -- Treating depression during pregnancy influences infant brain development and early emotional function, according to new research published in Nature Communications.

In the first randomized controlled trial to demonstrate that a prenatal depression intervention can affect infant brain structure, researchers found that babies whose mothers received psychotherapy for depression during pregnancy showed differences in the development of a brain region involved in emotion and memory. Those brain differences were associated with lower negative emotionality in infancy.

The findings provide some of the strongest evidence to date that maternal mental health during pregnancy can have intergenerational effects on child development.

"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, PhD, assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Colorado Anschutz and lead author. "By using a randomized clinical trial, we were able to test whether treating depression during pregnancy can actually influence early brain development in infants."

Prenatal depression is one of the most common complications of pregnancy, affecting an estimated 20% to 40% of pregnant individuals. Previous studies have linked maternal depression during pregnancy with an increased risk of emotional, behavioral and mental health challenges in children, but researchers have lacked experimental evidence to determine whether improving maternal mental health could alter those outcomes.

To answer that question, investigators conducted the Care Project, a randomized clinical trial involving pregnant individuals experiencing elevated depressive symptoms.

Participants were randomly assigned to receive either a form of interpersonal psychotherapy consisting of eight weekly 50-minute sessions focused on relationships and social support, or enhanced usual care, which included standard obstetric care, a psychoeducation session about depression during pregnancy and information about community mental health resources.

Infants whose mothers received psychotherapy during pregnancy developed differently in  the hippocampus, a brain region involved in memory and emotions. Babies whose mothers received treatment showed a 5% difference in their hippocampus compared with those whose mothers received usual care.  Notably, this brain region predicted better emotion regulation when babies were 6-months of age. The findings add to growing evidence that depression during pregnancy may affect how the baby's developing brain matures, with implications for children's emotional health later in life.

"Our findings suggest that treating mother's depression during pregnancy may help shape a healthier developmental trajectory for the infant brain," said Elysia Davis, PhD, professor of psychology at the University of Denver and the SEED Research Institute and corresponding author. "This study highlights pregnancy as a critical window for intervention and reinforces that supporting maternal mental health is also an investment in child health."

The findings underscore the importance of integrating mental health services into prenatal care. Because prenatal depression is both common and treatable, improving access to evidence-based mental health interventions during pregnancy could benefit the mothers' mental wellbeing as well as the next generation.

"These findings provide compelling evidence that mental health care during pregnancy has the potential to create intergenerational benefits," said Benjamin Hankin, PhD, Professor of Psychology at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. "Supporting maternal mental health may be one of the earliest opportunities we have to promote healthy child development."

Key Takeaways

• Prenatal depression affects up to 40% of pregnant individuals and is associated with child developmental outcomes.
• This study is the first randomized clinical trial to show that treating depression during pregnancy can influence infant brain structure.
• Babies whose mothers received psychotherapy during pregnancy showed differences in the development of the hippocampus, a brain region important for emotion and memory.
• The findings suggest that pregnancy is a critical window for preventive mental health care with potential long-term benefits for both mothers and children.

About the University of Colorado Anschutz
The University of Colorado Anschutz is a world-class academic medical campus leading transformative advances in science, medicine, education and patient care. The campus includes the University of Colorado's health professional schools, more than 60 centers and institutes, and two nationally ranked independent hospitals - UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital and Children's Hospital Colorado - which see nearly three million adult and pediatric patient visits each year. Innovative, interconnected and highly collaborative, CU Anschutz delivers life-changing treatments, exceptional patient care and top-tier professional training. The campus conducts world-renowned research supported by $890 million in funding, including $762 million in sponsored awards and $128 million in philanthropic gifts for research.

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Contact: Kelsea Pieters, CU Anschutz
[email protected] Phone: (804) 314-1360

SOURCE University of Colorado Anschutz