Oxytocin has been a hormone of interest in understanding both depression and parenting. Here, the role of oxytocin has been explored in understanding the interaction between perinatal depression, history of trauma and subsequent longer-term child socio-emotional outcomes. Data were obtained from 203 pregnant women from the Mercy Pregnancy and Emotional Wellbeing Study (MPEWS), a pregnancy cohort study with data collected across pregnancy, postpartum and until 4 years for mother and child. Maternal antenatal depression was measured using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID-IV) together with the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire to measure maternal trauma history. Maternal oxytocin levels were measured by enzyme immunoassay following extraction at four time points across pregnancy and the postpartum. The offspring consisted of 203 children followed up from birth until 4 years of age when they were assessed for DSM 5 depression and anxiety disorders (emotional disorders) using the Preschool Age Psychiatric Assessment. Maternal oxytocin levels increased over pregnancy and the postpartum in both control and depressed women with no difference between groups. Maternal childhood trauma and antenatal antidepressant use was also not associated with maternal oxytocin levels. Lower gestational age, maternal depression and early childhood trauma, and late pregnancy oxytocin concentrations were associated with later childhood emotional disorders; together they predicted 10% of variance for emotional disorders. Oxytocin is a hormone whose role in understanding intergenerational risk from pregnancy to child emotional disorders is dependent on relational context. Future research can expand on understanding these important early predictors of childhood mental health.

催产素一直是了解抑郁症和育儿的重要激素。在这里，已经探讨了催产素在了解围产期抑郁症，外伤史和随后的较长期儿童社会情感结局之间的相互作用方面的作用。数据来自于203个孕妇，分别来自于Mercy怀孕和情绪健康研究（MPEWS），该研究是一项妊娠队列研究，其中收集了从怀孕到产后直至4岁的母婴的数据。使用《 DSM-IV结构性临床访谈》（SCID-IV）以及《童年创伤调查表》来测量母亲的产前抑郁，以测量母亲的创伤史。妊娠和产后四个时间点提取后，通过酶联免疫测定法测定母体催产素水平。后代由203名儿童组成，他们从出生到4岁一直接受随访，当时他们使用学龄前精神病学评估对他们的DSM 5抑郁症和焦虑症（情绪障碍）进行了评估。对照组和抑郁症妇女的孕妇催产素水平在怀孕和产后均增加，两组之间无差异。母亲的儿童期创伤和产前抗抑郁药的使用也与母亲的催产素水平无关。较低的胎龄，孕产妇抑郁和儿童早期创伤以及妊娠晚期催产素浓度与儿童后期情绪障碍有关。他们一起预测了情绪障碍的10％差异。催产素是一种激素，其在理解从怀孕到儿童情绪障碍的代际风险中的作用取决于关系背景。未来的研究可以扩大对儿童期心理健康的这些重要早期预测因素的理解。