Postpartum PTSD: effects on mothers and early infant development
Official title: Defining postpartum PTSD and its implications for maternal wellness and child development
Funded at Massachusetts General Hospital · NIH-11228820 · Data updated 2026-11-12
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.
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 | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $57,089 |
| NIH project number | 3R01HD108619-04S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11228820 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Pregnant people in their third trimester (around week 32) who can attend follow-up visits through the first postpartum year are the ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People who are not pregnant, are beyond the first postpartum year, or cannot attend follow-up visits are unlikely to benefit directly from participating.
What this research studies
If you join, researchers will enroll you in the third trimester (around week 32), check in in the hours after delivery, and follow you at Day 1, Day 45, and months 3, 6, and 12 postpartum while your infant is seen at 6 and 12 months. You will complete symptom questionnaires and bonding and developmental checks across these visits to track mental health and parent–infant interaction over time. The study aims to find who is at risk for childbirth-related PTSD, how symptoms change across the first postpartum year, and whether maternal symptoms relate to early infant development. Findings are intended to point toward earlier detection and supports for mothers and babies.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to better recognition of postpartum PTSD and earlier supports to protect maternal wellness and infant development.
How similar studies have gone: Related research has documented postpartum depression, but longitudinal studies specifically focused on childbirth-related PTSD and its effects on infants are rare, so this approach is relatively novel.
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.
-
Defining postpartum PTSD and its impact on new mothers and their babies
A long-term study follows pregnant women and their babies to better understand postpartum PTSD and how it affects mothers and child development.
-
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.
-
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
-
Wearable tech to track blood loss during childbirth
A wearable device monitors cardiovascular signals to detect postpartum hemorrhage early so clinicians can act quickly to protect mothers.
-
HIV treatment and postpartum weight help after birth in South Africa
A small, patient-friendly study is testing a lay health worker–led program to support postpartum women living with HIV in staying on ART and managing weight.
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.