A study conducted by scientists from the University of Wisconsin-Madison showed that children whose mothers suffered from depression and anxiety during pregnancy had certain changes in the structure of the brain. According to doctors, these changes can be associated with problems of behavior in childhood.

To arrive at such conclusions, experts asked 101 women to fill out a questionnaire containing questions about depression and anxiety symptoms during the third trimester of pregnancy. Then the experts conducted a brain scan of babies when they were about one month old. The researchers found changes in the structure of the brain among infants born to women who suffered from moderate depression during pregnancy. According to the findings, depression and anxiety of the mother are associated with changes in the so-called microstructure of white matter in the brain. This area is similar to the "wiring", which is responsible for the neural connection between different areas of the brain and helps to control body movements for controlling emotions. With regard to gender differences, male infants more often suffered from these changes than female infants.

According to statistics, about one in five pregnant women experience depression and anxiety, which are associated with emotional and behavioral consequences in children. This effect is observed even in cases when the symptoms in women were not serious. The lack of treatment for depression during pregnancy may be due to the low birth weight of children, say scientists.. In addition, pregnant women with uncontrolled depression can eat poorly, do not attend women's counseling, and in the most severe cases commit suicide attempts.

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