Depression during pregnancy is no laughing matter. According to a new study, pregnant moms who are depressed can actually increase the risk of depression in their kids by the time they turn 18.

The study is published in JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association) Psychiatry analyzed data on the mental health of more than 4,500 parents and their adolescent children. The findings showed that postnatal depression in the mother was a risk factor for children's depression in late adolescence, but only in mothers with low educational attainment.

The researchers noted that mental state of the father during the pregnancy had no effect on the long-term health of the child, which suggests that levels of the stress hormone cortisol which are raised during depression may be able to affect the development of the fetus in the womb.

Based on the findings, this could mean the development of people's mental health could actually begins even before birth.The researchers are hopeful that these findings will encourage more women experiencing depression during pregnancy to seek help.

The Guardian
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