Last week, Health Day News reported that according to a new study, teens whose mothers were depressed during pregnancy are at increased risk for antisocial behavior, including violence. 



Brittish researchers found that women who had a history of "aggressive and disruptive" behavior in their teen years are more likely to become  depressed during pregnancy.



"The study included 120 inner-city youth and their mothers. The children's mothers were interviewed while they were pregnant, after they gave birth, and when their children were 4, 11 and 16 years old.

Mothers who were depressed during pregnancy were four times more likely than normal to have boys and girls who were violent at age 16."

Is this really true? Can a mother's depression be predicted by their behavior as teens? 

Parents Ask expert Carin Goldstein, MFT says:

I certainly would not discount this article. However, there is such a vast range as far as the kind of depression pregnant women experience, some of it being very normal due to change in hormones as well as the many symptoms of discomfort due to pregnancy. That being said, there are many different variables which can also contribute to teenage anti-social behavior such as an infant's early attachment experience and/or the environment in which a child is raised.