Understanding how a mother's mental well-being affects her and her baby's early development
Neural mechanisms of psychological risk on mother and infant adjustment
This research explores how a mother's feelings and brain changes during and after pregnancy might shape her caregiving and her baby's early life.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Yale University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New Haven, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11143656 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
We know that early caregiving experiences are very important for a child's health and development throughout their life. This project looks at how a mother's mental well-being, like depressive symptoms or attachment style, might influence her brain's response to her baby during the transition to motherhood. We want to understand if these brain changes affect how she cares for her infant and, in turn, how the infant develops. The project also considers the baby's own characteristics and aims to include diverse families to ensure the findings apply broadly.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates would be mothers during their third trimester and after birth, along with their infants (0-11 years old).
Not a fit: Patients not in the third trimester of pregnancy or with infants outside the 0-11 age range would not directly benefit from participation in this specific research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help us identify mothers and infants who might need extra support and develop better ways to promote healthy family development.
How similar studies have performed: Previous research has shown links between maternal psychological factors and brain mechanisms related to caregiving, but this project specifically focuses on changes during the transition to motherhood and includes diverse populations.
Where this research is happening
New Haven, United States
- Yale University — New Haven, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Rutherford, Helena Jv — Yale University
- Study coordinator: Rutherford, Helena Jv
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 below.