Research progress on the mechanism of perinatal depression′s impact on offspring neurofunctional development

ZHI Jincao; XU He; CHANG Qing; WU Shanhong; QIN Huan; WANG Yan

doi:10.11852/zgetbjzz2024-1297

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Chinese Journal of Child Health Care ›› 2025, Vol. 33 ›› Issue (12) : 1348-1352. DOI: 10.11852/zgetbjzz2024-1297

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Research progress on the mechanism of perinatal depression′s impact on offspring neurofunctional development

ZHI Jincao¹, XU He¹, CHANG Qing¹, WU Shanhong², QIN Huan¹, WANG Yan²

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Abstract

Early life is a critical period for neurodevelopment in children. Perinatal depression (PND) has been demonstrated to profoundly affect various aspects of offspring development, including motor skills, language, cognition, and social abilities. This article reviews the impact of PND on offspring neurofunctional development and its potential underlying mechanisms, such as epigenetic regulation, impaired mother-infant attachment, alterations in brain structure and function, hyperactivity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, immune inflammation, abnormal gut microbiota, and multi-omics regulation. It also proposes preventive measures for PND, aiming to promote maternal mental health during the perinatal period and mitigate the negative effects of PND on offspring neurofunctional development.

Key words

perinatal depression / infants and young children / neurofunctional development / hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis

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ZHI Jincao, XU He, CHANG Qing, WU Shanhong, QIN Huan, WANG Yan. Research progress on the mechanism of perinatal depression′s impact on offspring neurofunctional development[J]. Chinese Journal of Child Health Care. 2025, 33(12): 1348-1352 https://doi.org/10.11852/zgetbjzz2024-1297

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