Prenatal Income Instability and the Parental Brain

In this episode of The Biological Psychiatry Podcast, Dr. Elvisha Dhamala sits down with Dr. Pilyoung Kim from the University of Denver to discuss their recent paper published in Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging.Pregnancy transforms the brain to prepare for parenthood, but what happens when financial instability disrupts that process? In this conversation, we explore how income losses during pregnancy dampen brain responses to infant cries in the postpartum period, while income gains strengthen neural bonding with one's own baby. We discuss what these findings mean for understanding the neurobiology of parenting, why income instability may matter more than poverty itself, and the implications for supporting families during this critical window.Paper:Income Instability During Pregnancy Prospectively Relates to Postpartum Brain Function for Parent–Infant BondingDOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2026.03.003Follow Biological Psychiatry:Biological PsychiatryBiological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and NeuroimagingBiological Psychiatry: Global Open ScienceInstagram: @biologicalpsychLinkedIn: Biological PsychiatryBluesky: Biological PsychiatryThis podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical or professional advice. The views expressed are those of the participants and do not necessarily reflect those of the Society of Biological Psychiatry, its family of journals, or its editors. © 2026 Society of Biological Psychiatry. All rights reserved, including those for text and data mining or use in AI systems.