A trajectory analysis of childhood motor development following stress in pregnancy: The QF2011 flood study

Gabrielle Simcock1,2, David P Laplante3, Guillaume Elgbeili3

  • 1Mater Research Institute-University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.

This prospective, longitudinal cohort study examined the effects of flood-related stress in pregnancy on the trajectory of children's motor development; and the moderating effects of gestational timing of the flood or sex of the child. Women who were pregnant during a severe flood reported on their objective flood-related experiences, emotional reactions, and cognitive appraisal of the disaster. At 2-, 6-, 16-months, 2½- and 4-years postpartum, mothers' assessed their children's fine and gross motor development using the Ages and Stages-3 Questionnaire. High objective flood-exposure, or a negative appraisal, especially in later pregnancy, predicted poorer gross motor skills which rapidly improved across early childhood. Children's fine motor skill was influenced by the sex of the child with improvements in girls' fine motor skills over time, but not boys'. This demonstrates that stress in pregnancy has enduring influences on gross, but not fine, motor skills. Results are discussed in relation to fetal programming and stress appraisal theory.

Related Concept Videos

Responses to Drought and Flooding02:41

Responses to Drought and Flooding

Water plays a significant role in the life cycle of plants. However, insufficient or excess of water can be detrimental and pose a serious threat to plants.
12.1K
Erikson's Theory on Socioemotional Development during Childhood01:28

Erikson's Theory on Socioemotional Development during Childhood

Erik Erikson, a stage theorist, adapted Freud's theory to emphasize social factors in personality development throughout life, a concept known as psychosocial development. Unlike Freud, who focused on early childhood, Erikson believed that personality evolves across eight life stages, each marked by a specific challenge or "crisis." Successful resolution of each stage fosters competence, while failure may lead to feelings of inadequacy.
The first four of Erikson's eight...
1.1K
Piaget's Theory of Cognitive Development from Childhood into Adulthood01:25

Piaget's Theory of Cognitive Development from Childhood into Adulthood

Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development emphasizes the role of thinking in a child's learning process, suggesting that children are naturally curious about their environment. His approach to development is discontinuous, proposing that cognitive abilities progress through distinct stages, each with unique characteristics. Central to Piaget's theory is schemata—mental structures that allow individuals to understand and interpret the world.
Schemata: Building Blocks of Knowledge
1.6K
Orthogonal Trajectories01:26

Orthogonal Trajectories

Orthogonal trajectories describe the geometric relationship between two families of curves that intersect each other at right angles. One illustrative case involves a family of parabolas that open sideways along the x-axis. These curves share a common shape but differ by a scaling parameter, resulting in a set of curves that all pass through the origin and widen at different rates.Determining Orthogonal TrajectoriesTo identify the orthogonal trajectories for these parabolas, the first step...
70
Design of Transmission Shafts - Stress Analysis01:15

Design of Transmission Shafts - Stress Analysis

Designing a transmission shaft requires a thorough understanding of the stresses induced by bending moments and torques, especially in systems where power is transferred through gears. These forces create force-couple systems at the centers of the shaft's cross-sections, leading to both transverse and torsional loading. Although shearing stresses from transverse loads are typically smaller than those from torques and are often overlooked, the significant normal stresses from these loads...
746
Responses to Salt Stress02:02

Responses to Salt Stress

Salt stress—which can be triggered by high salt concentrations in a plant’s environment—can significantly affect plant growth and crop production by influencing photosynthesis and the absorption of water and nutrients.
14.6K