Leading
Prenatal Mental Health Researcher,
Psychiatrist, and Neuroscientist
Meet Dr. Freedman
Robert Freedman, MD, is a graduate of Harvard Medical School and School and an elected member of the U.S. National Academy of Medicine. As Professor of Psychiatry and Pharmacology at the University of Colorado, he realized that many mental illnesses began as problems in brain development before birth. He then led a research team to discover what women can do to prevent problems in their babies’ brain development, and ultimately, to prevent their future mental illness—in the womb. His work has been published in leading scientific journals, and he was recently featured in Smithsonian Magazine, a PBS Series, and the Oprah Winfrey book selection Hidden Valley Road.
Dr. Freedman's mission is to help women support their baby’s future mental well-being before birth. An unborn baby’s healthy, well-developed brain at birth will help the newborn child bond closer with its parents, and as a child, pay attention in school, make friends, and ultimately be protected from mental illness. What a baby has not developed before birth, unfortunately, cannot be created afterwards. Many parents of children with mental health conditions wish that they had known what to do earlier to help their baby build its brain. Therefore, this website offers guidance to expectant parents at no cost. Signing up provides you with information now and periodic updates on issues like vaccination and treatment for depression in pregnancy.
5 Steps You Can Take to Help Your Baby
Visit the Prenatal Health page for more information.
