Treating depression during pregnancy may benefit baby’s brain development – new research

Therapy during pregnancy for those who need it may have advantages for the next generation.

By: Elysia Poggi Davis, University of Denver; Benjamin L. Hankin, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and Catherine Demers, University of Colorado Anschutz, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: October 16, 2026

Words: 1,001

Last Updated: 15 hours, 21 minutes ago


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By Elysia Poggi Davis, University of Denver; Benjamin L. Hankin, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and Catherine Demers, University of Colorado Anschutz

Treating pregnant women’s depression with a short course of talk therapy doesn’t just improve their health – it can also shape how their babies’ brains develop before birth. That’s the finding of a new study we co-authored, published in the journal Nature Communications.

The study is part of an ongoing research project …

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