Healthcare in Pakistan
Depression often starts at young age and affects women more commonly than men. One or two mothers out of 10 have depression after childbirth. Depression also limits a mother’s capacity to care for her child, and can seriously affect the child’s growth and development. A study showed that exposure to maternal mental distress is associated with undernutrition in 9‐month infants in urban Pakistan.
Fetal programming
Mental state of the mother during pregnancy affects the fetus in the uterus, predominantly via hormones and genetics. The mother's mood, including maternal prenatal anxiety, depression and stress during pregnancy correlates with altered outcomes for the child. That being said, not every fetus exposed to these factors is affected in the same way and to the same degree, and genetic and environmental factors are believed to have a significant degree of influence.