SynthesisPloS one2021
A systematic review of the association between perinatal depression and cognitive development in infancy in low and middle-income countries.
Synthesis in PloS one, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 31 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
31 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Prevalence of perinatal depression in Ethiopia: An umbrella review of systematic review and meta-analysis studies.PloS one · 2026Pooled it
- Child developmental outcomes associated with postpartum depression and anxiety in low and middle-income countries: a systematic review.Archives of women's mental health · 2025Pooled it
- Prevalence of Perinatal Depression in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.JAMA psychiatry · 2023Pooled it
- Trial
- Understanding modifiable caregiver factors contributing to child development among young children in rural Malawi.Maternal & child nutrition · 2024Trial
- Maternal depression, alcohol use, and transient effects of perinatal paraprofessional home visiting in South Africa: Eight-year follow-up of a cluster randomized controlled trial.Social science & medicine (1982) · 2023Trial
- Delivering the Thinking Healthy Programme as a universal group intervention integrated into routine antenatal care: a randomized-controlled pilot study.BMC psychiatry · 2023Trial
- Antenatal depressive symptoms impair offspring neurodevelopment by inducing maternal gut microbiota dysbiosis during pregnancy.Gut microbes · 2026Article
- Association between maternal-child interaction, maternal depression and early child development: an observational sub-study in rural Zimbabwe.BMJ paediatrics open · 2026Observational
- Maternal Outcomes Following Kangaroo Mother Care in Women With Postpartum Depression: A Descriptive Study.Cureus · 2026Article
- Identification, Prevention, and Treatment of Perinatal Depression in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Narrative Review.Biological psychiatry · 2026Review
- Correction: Implications for the Prevention of Poverty-Related Environmental Risks for Childhood ADHD: A Narrative Review.Child psychiatry and human development · 2026Article
- Implications for the Prevention of Poverty-Related Environmental Risks for Childhood ADHD: A Narrative Review.Child psychiatry and human development · 2026Review
- Unpacking postpartum depression in rural India: an integrated analysis of risk factors at 12 months and child development outcomes at 18 months of age - findings from the SPRING study.BMC psychology · 2026Article
- Programme for the Effective Promotion of Maternal Psychosocial Wellbeing (PREPWELL) in Ghana: Development and field-testing of a mHealth Intervention in a rural setting.PLOS mental health · 2026Article
- Perinatal depression in India: A narrative review of prevalence, risk factors, and healthcare provider awareness.Journal of family medicine and primary care · 2025Review
- Racial differences in psychosocial resources and mental and physical health outcomes during pregnancy: a structural equation modeling approach.Maternal health, neonatology and perinatology · 2025Article
- Longitudinal associations between perceived father and grandparent support of mothers in early childhood, and maternal mental health.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2025Article
- Women's Mental Health (WMH) Post-doctoral Fellowship Program: A Potential to Increase Trained Human Resources in WMH in India.Indian journal of psychological medicine · 2024Article
- Advances in Psychotropic Treatment for Pregnant Women: Efficacy, Adverse Outcomes, and Therapeutic Monitoring.Journal of clinical medicine · 2024Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
Abstract
The association between perinatal depression and infant cognitive development has been well documented in research based in high-income contexts, but the literature regarding the same relationship in low and middle-income countries (LMICs) is less developed. The aim of this study is to systematically review what is known in this area in order to inform priorities for early intervention and future research in LMICs. The review protocol was pre-registered on Prospero (CRD42018108589) and relevant electronic databases were searched using a consistent set of keywords and 1473 articles were screened against the eligibility criteria. Sixteen articles were included in the review, seven focusing on the antenatal period, eight on the postnatal period, and one which included both. Five out of eight studies found a significant association between antenatal depression (d = .21-.93) and infant cognitive development, while four out of nine studies found a significant association with postnatal depression (d = .17-.47). Although the evidence suggests that LMICs should prioritise antenatal mental health care, many of the studies did not adequately isolate the effects of depression in each period. Furthermore, very few studies explored more complex interactions that may exist between perinatal depression and other relevant factors. More high-quality studies are needed in LMIC settings, driven by current theory, that test main effects and examine moderating or mediating pathways to cognitive development.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.