Defining postpartum PTSD and its impact on new mothers and their babies
Official title: Defining postpartum PTSD and its implications for maternal wellness and child development
Funded at Massachusetts General Hospital · NIH-11359755 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A long-term study follows pregnant women and their babies to better understand postpartum PTSD and how it affects mothers and child development.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Massachusetts General Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | August 16, 2022 |
| Project end | July 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $635,951 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HD108619-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11359755 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Pregnant women in their third trimester and their infants up to 12 months postpartum who consent to participate.
✕Less likely to help
Women without access to study participation or those who do not meet the inclusion criteria may not receive direct benefits.
What this research studies
This study will enroll women in their third trimester and follow them from hours after birth through the first year after delivery, with parallel assessments of their babies. It will collect data on mood, bonding, and potential risk factors for postpartum PTSD while tracking infant development at key milestones. Researchers will use longitudinal surveys, clinical interviews, and possibly biological samples to map how maternal PTSD symptoms emerge and influence early mother–child interactions. The goal is to build a foundation for earlier identification and intervention to protect both mothers and their children.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, findings could lead to earlier detection and better treatment for CB-PTSD, improving maternal well-being and child development.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work has linked postpartum mood disorders to child outcomes, but the CB-PTSD trajectory and its effects on bonding are less well defined, making this study notably exploratory with potential impactful insights.
Where this research is happening
-
Massachusetts General Hospital
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Dekel, Sharon — Massachusetts General Hospital
- Study coordinator: Dekel, Sharon
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Postpartum PTSD: effects on mothers and early infant development
This project follows pregnant people from late pregnancy through the first year after birth to learn how childbirth-related PTSD affects moms and their babies.
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Understanding Postpartum PTSD and its Effects on Mothers and Babies
This research aims to better understand childbirth-related posttraumatic stress disorder (CB-PTSD) and how it affects new mothers and their infants.
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Understanding postpartum PTSD and its effects on mothers and children
This study is looking at how postpartum posttraumatic stress disorder (CB-PTSD) affects new moms and their babies, by checking in with pregnant women in their last trimester and then following them and their little ones during the first year after birth to see how they’re doing and what might help.
-
Understanding postpartum PTSD and its effects on mothers and children
This study is looking at how postpartum posttraumatic stress disorder affects new moms and their babies, by following pregnant women in their last trimester and checking in with them during their baby's first year to see how they're doing and bonding together, so we can find ways to help families who might be strugglin
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Wearable tech to track blood loss during childbirth
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.