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Development of Attentional Biases for Affective Cues in Infants of Mothers With Depression

Who can join

As published by the study on ClinicalTrials.gov. "Not stated" means the study hasn't said — ask the study team.

Age
6 Months and older
Sex
All sexes
Healthy volunteers
Accepted
Compensation
Not stated

Other requirements are listed under Eligibility below. Only the study team can confirm whether you can join.

What to expect

No one can promise a trial will help you personally — that is what the research is trying to find out.

What participation involves

Not stated in the study description — ask the study team about visits and procedures.

Compensation
Not stated
  • Study-related exams and procedures are typically provided at no cost. This is how many trials work in general — confirm the details for this study with the study team.
  • Participants are monitored closely by the research team throughout the study.
  • Some participants may receive access to an investigational treatment, which is still being studied.
  • Your participation helps researchers learn whether this approach could help future patients.

About this study

In plain language

This study looks at how babies of mothers with depression after childbirth pay attention to faces showing emotions. It also looks at how babies' level of alertness may shape this attention. The study includes mothers with and without depression and their babies.

The goal of this study is to examine attentional biases for facial displays of emotion as a mechanism of risk in infants of mothers with postpartum major depression, and the potential role of infant arousal in the development of these attentional biases.

Compensation is read from the study's own description and may be missing — always confirm with the study team.

Eligibility

Who can join

  • For the higher-risk group, mothers must have had at least one period of major depression since their baby was born.
  • For the lower-risk group, mothers must have no past depression disorder and no current mental health diagnosis.
  • Babies must be born after 37 weeks of pregnancy and weigh more than 2,500 grams (about 5.5 pounds) at birth.
  • Babies must not be twins or part of another multiple birth.
  • Babies must have no birth complications or health problems.
  • The two groups will be matched on traits such as age, race or ethnicity, and income.

Who can't join

  • Mothers with an alcohol or drug use disorder now or at any time during pregnancy cannot join.
  • Mothers who have ever had bipolar disorder, which causes major shifts in mood and energy, cannot join.
  • Mothers who have ever had a psychotic disorder, which can make it hard to tell what is real, cannot join.

Simplified for readability. The official criteria below are what the study team uses.

Official eligibility criteria

Inclusion Criteria: * The high-risk group (n = 150) will consist of women with at least one episode of MDD since their baby's birth. * To qualify for the low-risk group (n = 75), women cannot have a history of any depressive disorder or any current psychiatric diagnoses. * Infants will be required to be singleton children born full-term (\> 37 weeks) and normal weight (\> 2,500 grams) with no birth complications or health problems to avoid medical complications contributing to infants' attention, reactivity, and regulation measures. * The two groups will be matched on demographic factors (e.g., age, race/ethnicity, income). Exclusion Criteria: * Additional exclusion criteria are diagnoses of alcohol or substance use disorders currently or at any point during pregnancy, or lifetime history of bipolar or psychotic disorders.

Study sites (1)

NY