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Anxiety and depression during pregnancy could be harmful to your baby

Experts say anxiety and depression could affect your baby’s developmental outcomes through adolescence

According to a study by JAMA Pediatrics, a mother’s depression and anxiety from conception through the first year of the baby’s life is crucial.

About 15 to 23 percent of women worldwide experience this, and the burden is greater for women who live in poverty or are teen parents.

According to the study, the perinatal stage is when exposures and early life experiences may modify development. Starting from when the baby is in the womb all the way through their adolescent years.

As a result, your child could have deficits in language, cognitive, and motor development.

Experts suggest expecting and new mothers who are concerned about their mood should seek help from their physician and or psychologist early on.

It’s important to stay connected with supportive family, friends and other mothers.

They also suggest for moms to do activities that bring joy and to regularly practice self-care.


About the Authors
Sarah Acosta headshot

Sarah Acosta is a weekend Good Morning San Antonio anchor and a general assignments reporter at KSAT12. She joined the news team in April 2018 as a morning reporter for GMSA and is a native South Texan.

Gretchen Nowroozi was born and raised in Houston. She started working at KSAT as an intern in 2019 after graduating from Michigan State University. She is a producer for Good Morning San Antonio.

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