Can Prenatal Depression Lead to Depression in Adolescents?
Virtually, as soon as you announce you are expecting a little one, the advice starts rolling in: do not drink caffeine; do not eat strawberries; do not sleep on your right side. Some of the information is not so good; some are spot-on, but it is all intended to help you have a healthy baby. Now, there is an important new piece of advice moms-to-be should pay attention to treat their prenatal depression. Depression during pregnancy can have lasting effects that continue long after the baby is born. Researchers state that a mother’s prenatal depression can lead to depression in the child by the time he or she is 18. There are about 11% cases of adolescent depression among children born to women with prenatal depression who had symptoms of the condition by age 18, compared to 7% of adolescents with mothers who were not depressed during pregnancy. The findings are alarming, especially considering the rate of prenatal depression. The condition is common during pregnancy; in fact, more