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Updated: Jun 15, 2025

Using a Murine Model of Psychosocial Stress in Pregnancy as a Translationally Relevant Paradigm for Psychiatric Disorders in Mothers and Infants
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Negative impact of maternal depressive symptoms on infancy neurodevelopment: a moderated mediation effect of maternal

Shanshan Cui1, Wenjuan Xiong2, Ziyu Zhao2

  • 1Beijing Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology, School of Public Health, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100069, China.

European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry
|August 27, 2024
PubMed

Insights

Maternal depression can negatively impact infant neurodevelopment, particularly adaptive behaviors. Maternal inflammation, especially in early pregnancy, significantly mediates this relationship, highlighting inflammation

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Immunology

Background:

  • Maternal depression is linked to offspring neurodevelopmental risks.
  • The mediating role of maternal inflammation in this association requires further human investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine the mediating role of maternal inflammation in the relationship between maternal depression and infant neurodevelopment.
  • Investigate specific inflammatory biomarkers and their impact on infant adaptive behavior.

Main Methods:

  • 146 mother-child pairs from the Tianjin Maternal and Child Health Education and Service Cohort (Tianjin MCHESC).
  • Assessed maternal depression using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale and Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale.
  • Measured maternal inflammatory biomarkers (e.g., c-reactive protein) via ELISA across trimesters and infant neurodevelopment using the Children Neuropsychological and Behavior Scale-Revision 2016.

Main Results:

  • Higher maternal depression was associated with lower infant adaptive behavior quotients.
  • Elevated maternal c-reactive protein and first-trimester inflammatory levels correlated with reduced infant adaptive behavior.
  • First-trimester inflammation significantly mediated the link between maternal depression and infant adaptive behavior, explaining 11.85% of the association.

Conclusions:

  • Maternal depression can impair infant adaptive behavior development through inflammatory pathways.
  • Early pregnancy inflammation is a critical factor mediating the negative effects of maternal depression on offspring neurodevelopment.

Keywords:
Adaptive behaviorInfantMaternal depressionMaternal inflammationNeurodevelopment

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