Study suggests MOMCare therapy during pregnancy benefits infant brain growth
A new study suggests that helping pregnant women manage depression with a therapy called MOMCare can actually benefit their babies' brain growth.
Researchers found changes in the hippocampus, the part of the brain linked to learning and handling emotions.
MOMCare infants had 5% smaller hippocampus
The study looked at 234 pregnant women who reported symptoms of depression, splitting them into two groups: one got MOMCare therapy, the other got education about mental health, strategies for managing depression symptoms, and referrals to mental health support services, such as therapy, in the community.
Babies whose moms received MOMCare had a hippocampus about 5% smaller, which surprisingly was tied to better emotional regulation as infants.
The researchers say this highlights how important it is for moms-to-be to have access to mental health support, since it can make a real difference for both mom and baby.