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

In this study, infants whose mothers received brief talk therapy for depression during pregnancy developed a smaller right hippocampus by six weeks of age compared to those whose mothers received standard care. Researchers found that this specific brain difference was associated with babies showing less negative emotionality at six months old. For readers, this suggests that supporting a mother’s emotional well-being during pregnancy may have a meaningful, positive influence on her child's early brain development and temperament.