The researchers found that mothers depression and anxiety during pregnancy and the early years of motherhood were linked with poorer development for the children in cognitive, language, adaptive behaviours, motor skills and social-emotional areas. The impact of lasted through the infant years and into both childhood and adolescence.

The study concluded that maternal anxiety and depression in the perinatal period did have a negative impact on the child’s development and suggested that preventing depression and anxiety in this period as well as using early interventions could have a positive impact on the development of many children.

For more on maternal depression’s impact on a child’s development, click here.