The study, carried out by researchers at the University of the West of England and the University of Bristol, found an increase of up to 34 per cent in the risk of poor physical and mental development in children whose mothers were depressed during pregnancy.
Anti-natal depression can also lead to postnatal depression in the mothers by up to 50 per cent, the study said.
Researchers looked at the records of more than 11,000 mothers and children for symptoms of depression. The expectant mothers were diagnosed at 18 and 32 weeks into their pregnancy and again at eight weeks and eight months after birth.
They assessed the level of depression shown by women during pregnancy, and then looked for a relationship between this and any developmental problems in their children. Women with persistent depression during pregnancy were 50 percent more likely to have children with diagnosed problems such as delay in development milestones at 18 months.
Researchers believe that depression during pregnancy can increase the chances of postnatal depression, which is a known risk factor for developmental delay in children.
The findings were published Thursday in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. It is the one of only a few to assess the impact of depression in pregnancy separately from postnatal depression, which affects women following childbirth.
