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Updated: Aug 17, 2026
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Using a Murine Model of Psychosocial Stress in Pregnancy as a Translationally Relevant Paradigm for Psychiatric Disorders in Mothers and Infants
Published on: June 13, 2021
Maternal stress, social support and preschool children's intelligence
R F Slykerman1, J M D Thompson, J E Pryor
1Department of Paediatrics, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, New Zealand. rebecca.slykerman@ihug.co.nz
Early Human Development
|July 16, 2005
Summary
Maternal stress and lack of social support during pregnancy are linked to lower preschooler intelligence. However, good social support for mothers may buffer these negative impacts on child cognitive development.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Maternal Health
- Child Cognitive Development
Background:
- Limited research exists on the link between maternal stress, social support, and preschooler intelligence.
- Previous studies suggest a potential association between maternal stress and cognitive impairment in young children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between maternal stress and social support during pregnancy and early childhood with preschool children's intelligence test performance.
- To determine if social support mitigates the effects of maternal stress on children's cognitive abilities.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 550 European mother-child pairs from the Auckland Birthweight Collaborative Study was assessed at 3.5 years of age.
- Maternal stress and social support were evaluated through interviews.
- Children's cognitive ability was measured using the Stanford Binet Intelligence Scale, 4th Edition.
Main Results:
- Maternal stress and inadequate social support during pregnancy correlated with lower child intelligence scores in the general sample.
- Maternal stress after birth was associated with reduced intelligence scores in children born small for gestational age (SGA).
- Evidence suggests that maternal social support can lessen the adverse effects of maternal stress on cognitive development.
Conclusions:
- Maternal stress and insufficient social support are associated with diminished intelligence test scores in preschool children.
- Social support may play a protective role, reducing the negative impact of maternal stress on intelligence, particularly in children born SGA.
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