Depression in pregnancy (also called ‘antenatal depression’) is being increasingly recognized as a clinically relevant condition that affects obstetric outcome, maternal behaviour and children's future mental health. The present review focuses on the molecular mechanisms operating in utero that underlie the potential effects of antenatal depression on mothers’ and children's behaviour. In particular, I discuss evidence, coming largely from animal and cellular studies, that activation of the main hormonal stress-response system, the HPA (hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal) axis, in mothers who are depressed during pregnancy may affect maternal care as well as offspring's behaviour and future psychopathology. The evidence summarized in the present review supports the notion that preventing or treating depression in pregnancy will alleviate not only the suffering of mothers, but also the suffering of the next generation.
Skip Nav Destination
Article navigation
April 2014
-
Cover Image
Cover Image
- PDF Icon PDF LinkFront Matter
- PDF Icon PDF LinkTable of Contents
Conference Article|
March 20 2014
Depression during pregnancy: molecular regulations of mothers’ and children's behaviour
Carmine M. Pariante
Carmine M. Pariante
1
*Section of Perinatal Psychiatry and the Stress, Psychiatry and Immunology Laboratory, Institute of Psychiatry, Department of Psychological Medicine, King's College London, Room 2-055, The James Black Centre, 125 Coldharbour Lane, London SE5 9NU, U.K.
1email[email protected]
Search for other works by this author on:
Publisher: Portland Press Ltd
Received:
October 15 2013
Online ISSN: 1470-8752
Print ISSN: 0300-5127
© The Authors Journal compilation © 2014 Biochemical Society
2014
Biochem Soc Trans (2014) 42 (2): 582–586.
Article history
Received:
October 15 2013
Citation
Carmine M. Pariante; Depression during pregnancy: molecular regulations of mothers’ and children's behaviour. Biochem Soc Trans 1 April 2014; 42 (2): 582–586. doi: https://doi.org/10.1042/BST20130246
Download citation file:
Sign in
Don't already have an account? Register
Sign in to your personal account
You could not be signed in. Please check your email address / username and password and try again.
Could not validate captcha. Please try again.
Biochemical Society Member Sign in
Sign InSign in via your Institution
Sign in via your InstitutionGet Access To This Article
Get Email Alerts
Open Access for all
We offer compliant routes for all authors from 2025. With library support, there will be no author nor reader charges in 5 journals. Check here |
![]() |