Stress, Anxiety, & Depression During Pregnancy May Hinder Toddler’s Cognitive Development
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Women’s elevated anxiety, depression, and stress during pregnancy altered key features of the fetal brain, which subsequently decreased their offspring’s cognitive development at 18 months.
These changes also increased internalizing and dysregulation behaviors, according to a new study by Children’s National Hospital published in JAMA Network Open. Researchers followed a cohort of 97 pregnant women and their babies.
The findings further suggest that persistent psychological distress after the baby is born may influence the parent-child interaction and infant self-regulation.
This is the first study to shed light on an important link between altered ...