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The effects of maternal depression, oxytocin levels, and oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) variants on preschoolers have been little explored. To learn more, investigators conducted a study involving mothers who were either chronically depressed or never depressed. The mothers self-rated their depressive symptoms at post-partum day 2 and at 6 months and had two diagnostic assessments when children were 9 months and 6 years old. Researchers avoided confounders by limiting participants to white, educated, high socioeconomic–status mothers with low anxiety scores.
The 46 children of depressed mothers were significantly more likely to have axis I diagnoses (61% vs. 15%), lower social engagement, and less empathy than the 103 children of nondepressed…