Infants born to mothers who showed signs of depression right after delivery died before their first birthday at nearly three times the rate of other babies, according to a large new US study.
The link held across racial groups, education levels, and insurance status, and across both full-term and preterm births.
The research, published on September 2, 2026 in JAMA Network Open, followed 414,890 singleton babies born in New Jersey from 2016 through 2020, matched against death records through 2021.
Among mothers who screened positive for depressive symptoms, the infant mortality rate was 7.2 deaths per 1,000 births. Among the rest, it was 2.0 per 1,000.
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After adjusting for demographic and socioeconomic factors, the study found an adjusted risk ratio of 2.89 for death in the first year.
The Rutgers-led team used New Jersey's universal postpartum depression screening, which flags mothers with a score of 10 or higher on the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, a short questionnaire completed before hospital discharge.
That let researchers capture symptomatic mothers whether or not they were ever formally diagnosed.
How it can affect the child
The elevated risk was strongest for deaths tied to perinatal conditions, prematurity, and congenital problems, but it also extended to sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
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Adjusted risk ratios reached 5.12 for perinatal conditions, 4.07 for prematurity-related deaths, 3.56 for congenital anomalies, and 2.08 for SIDS.
The authors are careful to call this an association, not proof of cause. Several pathways could explain it.
Depression can affect a mother's ability to respond to a baby's cues, follow feeding routines, or seek medical help quickly when something looks wrong.
Depressive symptoms may also reflect earlier pregnancy complications, or arise partly in response to a sick infant.
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How common are the symptoms?
Postpartum depression is widespread. The CDC reports that about 1 in 8 women with a recent live birth report symptoms of postpartum depression.
Many are never formally diagnosed or treated, which is part of why New Jersey's universal in-hospital screening matters.
Screening alone, though, does not fix the problem. More follow-up and treatment are needed.
What the guidelines currently say
The US Preventive Services Task Force gives a grade B recommendation to screening for depression in all adults, including pregnant and postpartum patients, a rating that means insurers must cover it at no cost.
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The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists goes further, recommending in its 2023 clinical practice guideline that patients be screened at least twice during pregnancy and again at a postpartum visit using validated instruments such as the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale.
New or expecting parents worried about persistent low mood, anxiety, or thoughts of self-harm can contact their obstetric or primary care clinician.
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This article is made and published by Ida-Marie Palm Varbæk, who may have used AI in the preparation.