Maternal perinatal depression and child executive function outcomes

This research examined whether depression during and after pregnancy affects children's executive function, a set of thinking skills important for self-regulation. Through a review of existing studies and three new research projects, the study found that while increasing depression symptoms in mothers had some effect on children's inattention symptoms, the strongest impact came from the quality of the mother-infant relationship in the first six months. This suggests that supporting the early mother-infant relationship could be particularly important for child development.