Story perspectives

Study Links Maternal Depression to Autism in Girls

2/7/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Tohoku University researchers led by Dr. Zhiqian Yu and Professor Hiroaki Tomita report that maternal perinatal depression increases the risk of autistic traits in toddlers, especially girls.
The study, published February 4, 2026 in Molecular Psychiatry, analyzed data from over 23,000 mother-child pairs and used mouse models to explore the biological mechanisms.
Maternal psychological distress correlated with autistic traits, and affected girls showed lower birth weights and impaired mother-infant bonding.

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Story summary

Tohoku University researchers led by Dr. Zhiqian Yu and Professor Hiroaki Tomita report that maternal perinatal depression increases the risk of autistic traits in toddlers, especially girls.
The study, published February 4, 2026 in Molecular Psychiatry, analyzed data from over 23,000 mother-child pairs and used mouse models to explore the biological mechanisms.
Maternal psychological distress correlated with autistic traits, and affected girls showed lower birth weights and impaired mother-infant bonding.