Infant hippocampal and amygdala volume in an observational follow-up from a randomized clinical trial for maternal prenatal depression.

Infants of mothers who received prenatal interpersonal psychotherapy have 0.62 standard deviations lower right hippocampal volume at 6 weeks compared to those in usual care.

• Why it matters: Prenatal maternal depression may influence offspring brain development and socioemotional outcomes, but the specific effects of targeted interventions remain unclear.
• What they did: The study followed 109 infants from a randomized trial, measuring hippocampal and amygdala volumes at 6 weeks and negative emotionality at 6 months, comparing intervention and usual care groups.
• The result: Lower right hippocampal volume was linked to reduced negative emotionality, suggesting prenatal intervention may impact infant brain development and subsequent emotional health.