Treating Prenatal Depression Aids Child Brain Development

A five-year University of Denver study links treatment of maternal depression during pregnancy to differences in children's brain development.

Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Autism

Bold flat vector editorial illustration of a translucent brain-like sculptural form against a pale mountain horizon at dawn, in coral, sage, and cream. — A five-year University of Denver study found that treating maternal depression during pregnancy was associated with differences in children's early brain development. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Live Poll

Should governments fund more mental health treatment for pregnant women?

University of Denver researchers, led by Elysia Davis, followed about 230 mothers and their children over five years and found that treating depression during pregnancy was associated with changes in children's brain development. Mothers who received interpersonal psychotherapy experienced an 80 percent reduction in rates of major depressive disorder.

Why it matters

Depression affects roughly one in five pregnant women, and the study suggests treatment during pregnancy may benefit not only the mother but also the developing child. For Denver and the Front Range, the findings point to the value of prenatal mental health care within local maternal health services.

The study followed approximately 230 mothers and their children over five years, with treated mothers showing an 80 percent reduction in major depressive disorder rates compared with the comparison group. The long-term developmental significance of the observed hippocampal brain volume differences remains unclear from the available findings.

The players

Elysia Davis

Davis is a Distinguished University Professor at the University of Denver who led the research on prenatal depression treatment and child brain development.

University of Denver

The University of Denver is a private research university in Denver, Colorado, where the study was led.

National Institute of Mental Health

The National Institute of Mental Health is a federal agency within the National Institutes of Health that funds mental health research and supported this study.

The details

Mothers were offered interpersonal psychotherapy for depression during pregnancy and compared against a comparison group. Babies born to mothers whose depression improved had longer gestation periods, were less likely to be born early, and showed differences in hippocampal brain volume. The study was supported by the National Institute of Mental Health and included researchers from the University of Colorado Anschutz and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Study enrollment of mothers began early in pregnancy.
The study followed mothers and children over a five-year period.

Health Landscape

The study extends National Institute of Mental Health-funded perinatal mental health research by linking maternal depression treatment to measurable differences in child brain development. It shifts attention from treating maternal depression solely as a maternal health issue toward recognizing its potential developmental consequences for the next generation.

Pregnant women experiencing depression may benefit from discussing treatment options such as interpersonal psychotherapy with their providers. The findings suggest that addressing maternal mental health during pregnancy could have effects that extend to the child's early development.

The takeaway

Treating depression during pregnancy may support healthier outcomes for both mother and child, making prenatal mental health screening and care worth raising with a healthcare provider.