From placenta to the foetus: a systematic review of in vitro models of stress- and inflammation-induced depression in pregnancy.

Background: Depression in pregnancy can increase vulnerability for psychiatric disorders in the offspring, likely via the transfer of heightened maternal cortisol and cytokines to the in-utero environment. However, the precise cellular and molecular mechanisms, are largely unclear. Animal studies can represent this complex pathophysiology at a systemic level but are expensive and ethically challenging.