Depression in pregnancy could increase risk of depression in adult offspring, research claims

Children born to mothers who experience depression during pregnancy are up to three times more likely to have depression in later life, according to new research. The research, by the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King’s College London, also found that children of depressed mothers are up to twice as likely to have experienced child maltreatment, primarily at the hands of peers and other adults in the home. About 1 in 12 pregnant women experience clinically significant levels of depression. Although previous research has documented a link between depression during pregnancy and depression in adolescent offspring, this