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Updated: Apr 3, 2026

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Infant outcomes following treatment of antenatal depression: Findings from a pilot randomized controlled trial

Elena Netsi1, Jonathan Evans2, Katharina Wulff3

  • 1Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; The Centre for Mental Health, Imperial College London, UK.

Journal of Affective Disorders
|September 16, 2015
PubMed

Insights

Improving antenatal depression symptoms in mothers, particularly with Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), may positively impact infant temperament and sleep duration. Further research is needed to confirm these effects.

Area of Science:

  • Perinatal mental health
  • Child development
  • Infant sleep and temperament

Background:

  • Maternal antenatal depression is linked to adverse child emotional and behavioral outcomes.
  • Antenatal depression also correlates with infant sleep disturbances, including shorter duration and increased awakenings.
  • Understanding the impact of treating maternal depression on child development is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the effects of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) versus Treatment as Usual (TAU) on infant sleep and temperament.
  • To examine the association between improvement in maternal depressive symptoms and infant outcomes.

Main Methods:

  • Pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) involving women with antenatal depression.
  • Intervention groups: CBT and TAU.
  • Assessment of infant sleep duration and temperament at two months postpartum.

Main Results:

  • No significant differences in infant outcomes were observed between the CBT and TAU groups.
  • Maternal improvement in depression scores during pregnancy was associated with easier infant temperament and shorter nocturnal sleep duration.
  • These positive associations were more pronounced in the CBT group.

Conclusions:

  • This pilot study had a small sample size and some loss to follow-up.
  • Improvement in antenatal depressive symptoms may confer benefits to infants.
  • The mechanisms (direct fetal effects or indirect maternal-infant relationship changes) require further investigation.
Abstract

Keywords:
Infant bio-behavioural organisationInfant sleepInfant temperamentPerinatal mood disordersPsychological therapiesRCT

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