Can maternal psychological distress influence neonatal brain development?

Levels of prenatal maternal psychological distress may be linked to regional neonatal brain volume, according to a study published in JAMA Network Open.

In the prospective cross-sectional study, investigators examined the neonatal brain volumes in 56 mother-infant dyads using data from the COVID-19 pandemic between June 1, 2020, and June 30, 2022. They compared outcomes in brain development with those from 103 normative mother-infant dyads from March 1, 2014, to Dec. 31, 2019.

Maternal psychological distress was found to be higher during the COVID-19 pandemic compared with prior to the pandemic. Further, the investigators found that neonatal patients born to mothers with high levels of psychological distress had median reductions in white matter, right hippocampal and left amygdalar volumes. They suggested that it may be critical for physicians to monitor for maternal mental health symptoms during pregnancy.

Read more: JAMA Network Open

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