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Study Finds Treating Depression During Pregnancy May Benefit Babies’ Brain Development

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3 days ago

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First randomized clinical trial finds prenatal psychotherapy changes infant brain structure and is linked to lower negative emotionality in early infancy.

AURORA, Colo., Oct. 16, 2026/PRNewswire/ — Treating depression during pregnancy influences infant brain development and early emotional function, according to new research published in Nature Communications.

In the first randomized controlled trial to demonstrate that a prenatal depression intervention can affect infant brain structure, researchers found that babies whose mothers received psychotherapy for depression during pregnancy showed differences in the development of a brain region involved in emotion and memory. Those brain differences were associated with lower negative emotionality in infancy.

The findings provide some of the strongest evidence to date that maternal mental health during pregnancy can have intergenerational effects on child development.

“Research has long shown that depression during pregnancy is associated with differences in children’s emotional and behavioral outcomes, but most of that evidence has been correlational,” said Catherine Demers, PhD, assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Colorado Anschutz and lead author. “By using a randomized clinical trial, we were able to test whether treating depression during pregnancy can actually influence early brain development in infants.”

Prenatal depression is one of the most common complications of pregnancy, affecting an estimated 20% to 40% of pregnant individuals. Previous studies have linked maternal depression during pregnancy with an increased risk of emotional, behavioral and mental health challenges in children, but researchers have lacked experimental evidence to determine whether improving maternal mental health could alter those outcomes.

To answer that question, investigators conducted the Care Project, a randomized clinical trial involving pregnant individuals experiencing elevated depressive symptoms.

Participants were randomly assigned to receive either a form of interpersonal psychotherapy consisting of eight weekly 50-minute sessions focused on relationships and social support, or enhanced usual care, which included standard obstetric care, a psychoeducation session about depression during pregnancy and information about community mental health resources.

Infants whose mothers received psychotherapy during pregnancy developed differently in  the hippocampus, a brain region involved in memory and emotions. Babies whose mothers received treatment showed a 5% difference in their hippocampus compared with those whose mothers received usual care.  Notably, this brain region predicted better emotion regulation when babies were 6-months of age. The findings add to growing evidence that depression during pregnancy may affect how the baby’s developing brain matures, with implications for children’s emotional health later in life.

“Our findings suggest that treating mother’s depression during pregnancy may help shape a healthier developmental trajectory for the infant brain,” said Elysia Davis, PhD, professor of psychology at the University of Denver and the SEED Research Institute and corresponding author. “This study highlights pregnancy as a critical window for intervention and reinforces that supporting maternal mental health is also an investment in child health.”

The findings underscore the importance of integrating mental health services into prenatal care. Because prenatal depression is both common and treatable, improving access to evidence-based mental health interventions during pregnancy could benefit the mothers’ mental wellbeing as well as the next generation.

“These findings provide compelling evidence that mental health care during pregnancy has the potential to create intergenerational benefits,” said Benjamin Hankin, PhD, Professor of Psychology at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. “Supporting maternal mental health may be one of the earliest opportunities we have to promote healthy child development.”

Key Takeaways

Prenatal depression affects up to 40% of pregnant individuals and is associated with child developmental outcomes.This study is the first randomized clinical trial to show that treating depression during pregnancy can influence infant brain structure.Babies whose mothers received psychotherapy during pregnancy showed differences in the development of the hippocampus, a brain region important for emotion and memory.The findings suggest that pregnancy is a critical window for preventive mental health care with potential long-term benefits for both mothers and children.

About the University of Colorado Anschutz
The University of Colorado Anschutz is a world-class academic medical campus leading transformative advances in science, medicine, education and patient care. The campus includes the University of Colorado’s health professional schools, more than 60 centers and institutes, and two nationally ranked independent hospitals – UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital and Children’s Hospital Colorado – which see nearly three million adult and pediatric patient visits each year. Innovative, interconnected and highly collaborative, CU Anschutz delivers life-changing treatments, exceptional patient care and top-tier professional training. The campus conducts world-renowned research supported by $890 million in funding, including $762 million in sponsored awards and $128 million in philanthropic gifts for research.

Find the latest CU Anschutz news here

Contact: Kelsea Pieters, CU Anschutz
Kelsea.pieters@cuanschutz.edu Phone: (804) 314-1360

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Eqvista Launches Company-Sponsored Tender Offers, Expanding Private Market Liquidity Capabilities

Published

22 minutes ago

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October 19, 2026

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New tender offer capabilities connect equity management with real-time valuation data covering approximately 65,000 private companies with a combined estimated value of $9 trillion, laying the groundwork for future secondary marketplace capabilities.

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Eqvista, a leading equity management and valuation platform serving more than 25,000 companies, today announced the launch of company-sponsored tender offer capabilities, enabling private companies to organize structured liquidity events directly within their equity management platform. The launch also marks a step toward Eqvista’s planned secondary marketplace capabilities.

As companies stay private longer, employees and early investors face limited opportunities to sell their shares. Meanwhile, organizing liquidity events involves complex decisions around pricing, participant eligibility, approvals, and ownership changes.

Eqvista brings these processes together through a company-controlled tender offer workflow, supported by its equity management infrastructure and Eqvista Real-Time Company Valuation® technology.

“With Eqvista, private companies can help their employees and early investors turn their shares into cash, rewarding them for their contributions to the company,” said Tomas Milar, Founder and CEO of Eqvista. “We already help companies manage ownership and understand their value. Bringing tender offers into the same platform is a natural next step toward connecting equity management, valuation, and liquidity.”

Company-Controlled Tender Offers

Eqvista’s new capabilities allow companies to manage tender offers while maintaining control over participation, transaction terms, and ownership changes.

Key features include:

Cap table integration: Automatically record completed ownership changes.Participant controls: Define eligible buyers and sellers and offer windows.Allocation rules: Set transaction limits, pro rata allocations, and priorities.Integrated approvals: Manage approval requirements and rights of first refusal.Valuation-informed pricing: Reference Eqvista Real-Time Company Valuation® data when evaluating transaction pricing.

By integrating these processes, Eqvista aims to reduce the administrative complexity of organizing liquidity events while helping companies maintain control over their shareholder base.

Building Toward a Secondary Marketplace

Building on its company-sponsored tender offer capabilities, Eqvista plans to expand into secondary marketplace infrastructure designed to support structured, company-approved liquidity programs. By connecting ownership records, real-time valuation data, and private share transactions within one platform, Eqvista aims to make private market liquidity more accessible while allowing companies to maintain control over participation and ownership changes. Further details will be announced as development progresses, subject to applicable regulatory requirements.

Learn more about Eqvista’s Company-Sponsored Tender Offers.

About Eqvista

Eqvista is an equity management and valuation platform building infrastructure for private markets. Trusted by more than 25,000 companies worldwide, Eqvista combines equity management, in-house valuation expertise, and AI-powered technology to help private companies manage ownership and understand their value. Eqvista Real-Time Company Valuation® technology covers approximately 65,000 U.S. private companies representing an estimated $9 trillion in combined value.

Contact Information
Jakub Vele
Head of Marketing
424978@email4pr.com
+1 (415) 375-4963

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/eqvista-launches-company-sponsored-tender-offers-expanding-private-market-liquidity-capabilities-302911472.html

SOURCE Eqvista

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Eqvista Launches Company-Sponsored Tender Offers, Expanding Private Market Liquidity Capabilities

Published

22 minutes ago

on

October 19, 2026

By

New tender offer capabilities connect equity management with real-time valuation data covering approximately 65,000 private companies with a combined estimated value of $9 trillion, laying the groundwork for future secondary marketplace capabilities.

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Eqvista, a leading equity management and valuation platform serving more than 25,000 companies, today announced the launch of company-sponsored tender offer capabilities, enabling private companies to organize structured liquidity events directly within their equity management platform. The launch also marks a step toward Eqvista’s planned secondary marketplace capabilities.

As companies stay private longer, employees and early investors face limited opportunities to sell their shares. Meanwhile, organizing liquidity events involves complex decisions around pricing, participant eligibility, approvals, and ownership changes.

Eqvista brings these processes together through a company-controlled tender offer workflow, supported by its equity management infrastructure and Eqvista Real-Time Company Valuation® technology.

“With Eqvista, private companies can help their employees and early investors turn their shares into cash, rewarding them for their contributions to the company,” said Tomas Milar, Founder and CEO of Eqvista. “We already help companies manage ownership and understand their value. Bringing tender offers into the same platform is a natural next step toward connecting equity management, valuation, and liquidity.”

Company-Controlled Tender Offers

Eqvista’s new capabilities allow companies to manage tender offers while maintaining control over participation, transaction terms, and ownership changes.

Key features include:

Cap table integration: Automatically record completed ownership changes.Participant controls: Define eligible buyers and sellers and offer windows.Allocation rules: Set transaction limits, pro rata allocations, and priorities.Integrated approvals: Manage approval requirements and rights of first refusal.Valuation-informed pricing: Reference Eqvista Real-Time Company Valuation® data when evaluating transaction pricing.

By integrating these processes, Eqvista aims to reduce the administrative complexity of organizing liquidity events while helping companies maintain control over their shareholder base.

Building Toward a Secondary Marketplace

Building on its company-sponsored tender offer capabilities, Eqvista plans to expand into secondary marketplace infrastructure designed to support structured, company-approved liquidity programs. By connecting ownership records, real-time valuation data, and private share transactions within one platform, Eqvista aims to make private market liquidity more accessible while allowing companies to maintain control over participation and ownership changes. Further details will be announced as development progresses, subject to applicable regulatory requirements.

Learn more about Eqvista’s Company-Sponsored Tender Offers.

About Eqvista

Eqvista is an equity management and valuation platform building infrastructure for private markets. Trusted by more than 25,000 companies worldwide, Eqvista combines equity management, in-house valuation expertise, and AI-powered technology to help private companies manage ownership and understand their value. Eqvista Real-Time Company Valuation® technology covers approximately 65,000 U.S. private companies representing an estimated $9 trillion in combined value.

Contact Information
Jakub Vele
Head of Marketing
424978@email4pr.com
+1 (415) 375-4963

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/eqvista-launches-company-sponsored-tender-offers-expanding-private-market-liquidity-capabilities-302911472.html

SOURCE Eqvista

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Technology

Eqvista Launches Company-Sponsored Tender Offers, Expanding Private Market Liquidity Capabilities

Published

22 minutes ago

on

October 19, 2026

By

New tender offer capabilities connect equity management with real-time valuation data covering approximately 65,000 private companies with a combined estimated value of $9 trillion, laying the groundwork for future secondary marketplace capabilities.

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Eqvista, a leading equity management and valuation platform serving more than 25,000 companies, today announced the launch of company-sponsored tender offer capabilities, enabling private companies to organize structured liquidity events directly within their equity management platform. The launch also marks a step toward Eqvista’s planned secondary marketplace capabilities.

As companies stay private longer, employees and early investors face limited opportunities to sell their shares. Meanwhile, organizing liquidity events involves complex decisions around pricing, participant eligibility, approvals, and ownership changes.

Eqvista brings these processes together through a company-controlled tender offer workflow, supported by its equity management infrastructure and Eqvista Real-Time Company Valuation® technology.

“With Eqvista, private companies can help their employees and early investors turn their shares into cash, rewarding them for their contributions to the company,” said Tomas Milar, Founder and CEO of Eqvista. “We already help companies manage ownership and understand their value. Bringing tender offers into the same platform is a natural next step toward connecting equity management, valuation, and liquidity.”

Company-Controlled Tender Offers

Eqvista’s new capabilities allow companies to manage tender offers while maintaining control over participation, transaction terms, and ownership changes.

Key features include:

Cap table integration: Automatically record completed ownership changes.Participant controls: Define eligible buyers and sellers and offer windows.Allocation rules: Set transaction limits, pro rata allocations, and priorities.Integrated approvals: Manage approval requirements and rights of first refusal.Valuation-informed pricing: Reference Eqvista Real-Time Company Valuation® data when evaluating transaction pricing.

By integrating these processes, Eqvista aims to reduce the administrative complexity of organizing liquidity events while helping companies maintain control over their shareholder base.

Building Toward a Secondary Marketplace

Building on its company-sponsored tender offer capabilities, Eqvista plans to expand into secondary marketplace infrastructure designed to support structured, company-approved liquidity programs. By connecting ownership records, real-time valuation data, and private share transactions within one platform, Eqvista aims to make private market liquidity more accessible while allowing companies to maintain control over participation and ownership changes. Further details will be announced as development progresses, subject to applicable regulatory requirements.

Learn more about Eqvista’s Company-Sponsored Tender Offers.

About Eqvista

Eqvista is an equity management and valuation platform building infrastructure for private markets. Trusted by more than 25,000 companies worldwide, Eqvista combines equity management, in-house valuation expertise, and AI-powered technology to help private companies manage ownership and understand their value. Eqvista Real-Time Company Valuation® technology covers approximately 65,000 U.S. private companies representing an estimated $9 trillion in combined value.

Contact Information
Jakub Vele
Head of Marketing
424978@email4pr.com
+1 (415) 375-4963

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/eqvista-launches-company-sponsored-tender-offers-expanding-private-market-liquidity-capabilities-302911472.html

SOURCE Eqvista

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