It is no secret that depression during pregnancy is now more common than in previous generations. From the rhythm of life to the false and unreal expectations that social networks and magazines have created for us, many women find themselves having depression problems while waiting for a baby.
On several occasions we have talked about how the emotional and mental health of the pregnant woman affects her child, and a new study has found that suffering from depression during pregnancy could affect the baby's brain.
Published in the journal JAMA Pediatrics, the study found that suffering from depression and anxiety during pregnancy could alter children's brain development, which puts on the table the importance of caring for the mental health of women since pregnancy.
A group of mothers were asked to fill in questionnaires with questions about symptoms of depression or anxiety during their third trimester of pregnancy. It was found that about half of them suffered from mild depression, while smaller groups had symptoms of moderate depression or severe depression.
Later, when their babies were one month old, they underwent an MRI, in which it was found that there were more alterations in the brain structure of those babies whose mothers had suffered moderate and high levels of depression during pregnancy. These changes were detected in the structure of the white matter of the brain, which acts as a communication bridge between the different regions of the brain.
The researchers conclude that this study highlights the importance of the prenatal period in the early development of the brain, and suggest that the structure of the underlying white substance exists is associated with the symptoms of depression and anxiety in pregnancy.
Studies like this continue to remind us that it is important to take care not only of physical fitness, but also monitor, attend and treat the mental health of women in pregnancy.
