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P50 Sensory Gating in Infants
Published on: December 26, 2013
Antenatal maternal anxiety is associated with problem behaviour at age five
E M Loomans1, O van der Stelt, M van Eijsden
1Developmental Psychology, Tilburg University, The Netherlands. E.M.Loomans@uvt.nl
Early Human Development
|May 18, 2011
Summary
Maternal anxiety during pregnancy is linked to increased behavioral problems in children, including hyperactivity and emotional symptoms. These effects are more pronounced in boys, with both mothers and teachers observing these differences.
Area of Science:
- Developmental psychology
- Maternal mental health
- Child behavior
Background:
- Maternal stress during pregnancy can impact offspring's behavioral development.
- Antenatal maternal anxiety is a significant concern with potential long-term effects.
Purpose of the Study:
- To prospectively investigate the association between antenatal maternal anxiety and children's behavior.
- To examine behavior ratings from both mothers and teachers.
Main Methods:
- Prospective study of a large community-based birth cohort (ABCD-study).
- Maternal state-anxiety measured at 16 weeks gestation.
- Children's behavior (problem behavior, emotional symptoms, conduct, hyperactivity, peer issues, pro-social behavior) assessed by mothers and teachers at age 5.
Main Results:
- Higher antenatal maternal anxiety correlated with increased child problem behavior, hyperactivity, emotional symptoms, conduct problems, and decreased pro-social behavior (mother's ratings).
- Teacher ratings showed a link between antenatal anxiety and increased overall problem behavior and decreased pro-social behavior.
- Child's sex moderated effects: boys showed stronger associations with overall problem behavior and hyperactivity compared to girls.
Conclusions:
- Antenatal maternal anxiety is associated with children's behavioral problems, with sex-specific outcome patterns.
- While statistically significant, the effect sizes observed in this study were small.
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