Maternal prenatal depression can affect child brain and behavioral development. Specifically, altered limbic network structure and function is a likely mechanism through which prenatal depression impacts the life-long mental health of exposed children. While developmental trajectories are influenced by many factors that exacerbate risk or promote resiliency, the role of child age and sex in the relationship between prenatal depression and the child brain remains unclear. Here, we review studies of associations between prenatal depression and brain structure and function, with a focus on the role of age and sex in these relationships. After exposure to maternal prenatal depression, altered amygdala, hippocampal, and frontal cortical structure, as well as changes in functional and structural connectivity within the limbic network, are evident during the fetal, infant, preschool, childhood, and adolescent stages of development. Sex appears to play a key role in this relationship, with evidence of differential findings particularly in infants, with males showing smaller and females larger hippocampal and amygdala volumes following prenatal depression. Longitudinal studies in this area have only begun to emerge within the last 5 years and will be key to understanding critical windows of opportunity. Future research focused on the role of age and sex in this relationship is essential to further inform screening, policy, and interventions for children exposed to prenatal depression, interrupt the intergenerational transmission of depression, and ultimately support healthy brain development.

中文翻译：

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机会之窗：年龄和性别如何影响产前抑郁症对儿童大脑的影响


产妇产前抑郁症会影响儿童的大脑和行为发育。具体来说，边缘网络结构和功能的改变是产前抑郁症影响暴露儿童终生心理健康的一种可能机制。虽然发育轨迹受到许多加剧风险或促进弹性的因素的影响，但儿童年龄和性别在产前抑郁症与儿童大脑之间关系中的作用仍不清楚。在这里，我们回顾了产前抑郁症与大脑结构和功能之间关联的研究，重点是年龄和性别在这些关系中的作用。暴露于母体产前抑郁症后，杏仁核、海马和额叶皮质结构的改变，以及边缘网络内功能和结构连接的变化，在胎儿、婴儿、学龄前、儿童和青少年发育阶段很明显。性别似乎在这种关系中起着关键作用，有证据表明差异发现，尤其是在婴儿中，男性在产前抑郁症后表现出较小的海马体和杏仁核体积，而女性表现出较大的海马体体积。该领域的纵向研究在过去 5 年中才开始出现，将成为了解关键机会窗口的关键。未来专注于年龄和性别在这种关系中的作用的研究对于进一步为暴露于产前抑郁症的儿童的筛查、政策和干预措施提供信息，中断抑郁症的代际传递，并最终支持健康的大脑发育至关重要。