According to a new study, children whose moms are depressed from pregnancy to birth are more likely to experience emotional issues in adulthood.

Children whose moms suffer escalating levels of depression from the time of pregnancy until shortly after birth are more likely to develop emotional, social, and academic issues during adolescence, according to a new UCLA psychology study.

Their seven-year study, which followed mothers and their children from conception to age five, is the first to show how variations in mothers' depression levels over time can affect early childhood behavior and emotional well-being, according to the authors.

The researchers analyzed data on 362 women, the majority of whom were Black or Hispanic and came from low-income families, as part of a study by the Community Child Health Network, a collaboration of health scientists from UCLA and other institutions, as well as community partners, that looked into disparities in maternal and child health among poor and minority families.

The women, all of whom already had a young child, were tracked through a subsequent pregnancy and were asked four times about their depressive symptoms — once before becoming pregnant, twice during pregnancy, and three months after their baby was born — with researchers recording how these symptoms altered over time.

Just under 75% of the women had low depression symptoms that did not change over the research period, while 12% had low symptoms that dramatically increased, and 7% had chronically high symptoms.

The researchers followed up with 125 of these women several years later for the second portion of the study. The mothers were asked to explain in detail their children's temperament and behavior when they were 4, or preschool age, including their experiences with emotional discomfort and their capacity to manage their emotions.

The youngsters then completed an activity that required concentrated attention at the age of five. They were asked to identify the direction the fish in the center was facing while disregarding the direction of all the other fish while looking at an iPad screen with a series of fish. Higher scores on this task indicate a higher ability to concentrate and block out distracting stimuli, according to Rinne.

"Welcoming a child into the family is a major emotional and psychological adjustment that can bring both joy and sorrow," Rinne stated. "One of the most prevalent consequences of pregnancy and postpartum is maternal depression."

She noted that depression during pregnancy and in new mothers is estimated to be as high as 25% in Los Angeles County.

The findings of the study, according to Rinne, underscore "the necessity of comprehensive mental health care at many times of the reproductive life course," beginning even before pregnancy and extending afterward, especially for moms who are experiencing increased levels of distress at any time.