“The development of an individual’s mental health did not start at birth but in the uterus,” according to Professor Carmine Pariante of King’s College London’s Institute of Psychiatry.
This is not to be taken lightly. An estimated 1 in 10 people have depression in the U.S. We know that cortisol (stress hormone) effects the child’s development in the womb. We are now just learning to what degree. This article discusses a study showing that children whose mothers were depressed during pregnancy have an increased risk of depression in adulthood.
If depression can be treated during pregnancy, then women not only help themselves but the potential suffering of their child. Ideally, treatment for depression is initiated before a woman is pregnant.
There are many ways to treat depression. Talk to your health practitioner if you are struggling with symptoms.