Perinatal discrimination and maternal depressive symptoms associated with infant development in African American families.

Research has documented elevated experiences of racial discrimination among African American families, and its adverse impacts on their psychological well-being. However, most studies have investigated the experiences of and consequences for older children and adults. The goal of the current study was to examine the relations among mothers' perception of discrimination during pregnancy, pre- and post-natal depressive symptoms, and infant development in African American families from low-income backgrounds.