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Copyright of Infant Mental Health Journal is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs) are a significant and prevalent group of mental health concerns, and there are growing expectations for them to be identified and addressed in both obstetric and pediatric primary care settings.1,2 Adversity during pregnancy, including maternal stress, depression, and/or anxiety, has been shown to be associated with adverse outcomes for the child, including emotional and behavioral functioning and changes in brain development such as cortical thickening and white matter structural differences.3,4 There are multiple potential mechanisms to explain these associations, including ontogenetic vulnerabilities (ie, developmental changes in the fetal period) resulting from physiological effects of PMADs in pregnancy, as well as disruption of the early parent-child bonding relationship that often occurs with PMAD symptoms.5. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article the author talks about the National Network of NICU Psychologists (NNNP), a recently reorganized sub organization of the National Perinatal Association, has many members across several states. Topics discussed include the NNNP strives to be the leading voice and resource for mental health services in NICU settings; and members of the NNNP are hosting/ attending regular peer mentoring calls to discuss topics related to mental health services in NICUs during the pandemic.