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April 23, 2026Journal of Affective DisordersOpen Access

Association of prenatal depression and anxiety with cortical development and behavioral outcomes in 8-year-old children

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Authors

XNXiaoxu NaUniversity of Arkansas for Medical SciencesTHTrenesha L. HillUniversity of Arkansas at Little RockJBJayne Bellando

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Implication

Longitudinal cohort study assesses children's brain and behavioral outcomes linked to maternal prenatal depression and anxiety.

Key Points

  • The study aims to evaluate the long-term impacts of maternal depression and anxiety during pregnancy on children's neurodevelopment and behavior.
  • Utilized a longitudinal cohort of 69 pregnant women and children dyads.
  • Assessed maternal depression and anxiety symptoms at 12-, 24-, and 36-weeks of pregnancy using established inventories.
  • Examined associations between maternal symptoms and children's brain features and behavioral challenges at age 8.
  • Higher maternal depression in the second trimester correlated with reduced cortical surface area in children.
  • Increased maternal anxiety during the second trimester was linked to reduced gyrification in children.
  • Maternal anxiety and depression were positively associated with various behavioral challenges in children, partially mediated by brain development.

Cite This Study

Na et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/69e9bb9e85696592c86ed415https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2026.121825
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Also Consider

Synapse has enriched 4 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context:

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  3. 3Normative spatiotemporal fetal brain maturation with satisfactory development at 2 years2023 · 67 citations
  4. 4Brain morphology of childhood aggressive behavior: A multi-informant study in school-age children2015 · 53 citations