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Babies' gaze may hold clues to Depression's early effects

NCT ID NCT06835855

Knowledge-focused Sponsor: Binghamton University Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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Recruiting now This study
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Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
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Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
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Expanded access (paused)
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Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
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Status unknown
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First seen Sep 30, 2026 · Last updated Oct 01, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

Researchers at Binghamton University are studying how infants of mothers with postpartum depression pay attention to emotional faces. The study includes 225 mothers and their babies, some with depression since giving birth and some without. Babies complete a computer task that shows happy, sad, angry, and neutral faces while an eye tracker records where they look. Mothers and babies also take part in a structured play session while researchers measure the baby's heart rate and breathing patterns. The goal is to understand whether attention to emotions and infant arousal play a role in the risk of developing depression-related problems.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

What this could lead to
If the study identifies how infants of depressed mothers develop attention patterns, it could inform early screening or support programs for families.
What could go wrong
This is an observational study with no treatment, so it cannot prove cause and effect. Results may not apply to all families, and measuring infant attention and arousal is technically challenging.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

About 225 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Started

Nov 2024

Expected to finish

Jul 2029

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

6 months and older

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Accepted

You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * The high-risk group (n = 150) will consist of women with at least one episode of MDD since their baby's birth. * To qualify for the low-risk group (n = 75), women cannot have a history of any depressive disorder or any current psychiatric diagnoses. * Infants will be required to be singleton children born full-term (\> 37 weeks) and normal weight (\> 2,500 grams) with no birth complications or health problems to avoid medical complications contributing to infants' attention, reactivity, and regulation measures. * The two groups will be matched on demographic factors (e.g., age, race/ethnicity, income). Exclusion Criteria: * Additional exclusion criteria are diagnoses of alcohol or substance use disorders currently or at any point during pregnancy, or lifetime history of bipolar or psychotic disorders.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

major depressive disorder

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Depression - major depressive disorder

How to take part

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  1. The places running it

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  2. The official record

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Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Binghamton University

    RECRUITING

    Binghamton, New York, 13902, United States

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