Related Experiment Video

Updated: Sep 25, 2025

Using Chronic Social Stress to Model Postpartum Depression in Lactating Rodents
07:30

Using Chronic Social Stress to Model Postpartum Depression in Lactating Rodents

Published on: June 10, 2013

25.0K

Maternal stress, child behavior and the promotive role of older siblings

Federica Amici1,2, Stefan Röder3, Wieland Kiess4,5

  • 1Department of Comparative Cultural Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103, Leipzig, Germany. amici@eva.mpg.de.

BMC Public Health
|April 30, 2022
PubMed

Insights

Maternal stress, especially prenatal, increases child behavior problems. However, having older siblings can reduce externalizing behaviors, promoting positive child development.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Psychology
  • Child Psychiatry
  • Maternal Health

Background:

  • Early childhood development is crucial for lifelong health and achievement.
  • Understanding risk and beneficial factors is key to improving child outcomes.
  • Early aversive conditions can have long-term negative effects.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine how social/environmental stressors impact maternal stress.
  • To analyze the relationship between maternal stress and child behavior problems.
  • To investigate the role of siblings in child behavior development.

Main Methods:

  • Longitudinal study of 373 mother-child pairs from pregnancy to 10 years.
  • Validated questionnaires assessed maternal stress and child behavior (internalizing/externalizing).
  • Statistical analysis using linear mixed models and cross-lagged models.

Main Results:

  • Socio-environmental stressors, like poor neighborhood conditions, increased maternal stress.
  • Prenatal maternal stress predicted childhood behavior problems.
  • Older siblings reduced the likelihood of children developing externalizing problems.

Conclusions:

  • Prenatal maternal stress negatively impacts offspring development.
  • Older siblings play a significant role in promoting positive child development.
Abstract

Keywords:
Child developmentMaternal stressPromotive factorsProtective factorsRisk factorsSiblings

More Related Videos

Using a Murine Model of Psychosocial Stress in Pregnancy as a Translationally Relevant Paradigm for Psychiatric Disorders in Mothers and Infants06:39

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

3.2K
Author Spotlight: Exploring Microglial Interactions with Stress-Response Circuitry Using the Limited Bedding and Nesting Model04:20

Author Spotlight: Exploring Microglial Interactions with Stress-Response Circuitry Using the Limited Bedding and Nesting Model

Published on: July 12, 2024

1.9K

Related Concept Videos

Relationship with Other Adult Family Members and Siblings01:29

Relationship with Other Adult Family Members and Siblings

Other adult family members and siblings play a crucial role in shaping children’s social and emotional development. While parents or primary caregivers are often the central figures in early attachment and socialization, other adults in a child’s life, such as grandparents, aunts, and uncles, can significantly influence developmental outcomes. These influences depend on each adult’s personality and may help compensate when a primary caregiver is emotionally distant or...
8
Adler's Individual Psychology01:28

Adler's Individual Psychology

Alfred Adler, a prominent figure in psychology, founded the school of individual psychology. In contrast to Freud's emphasis on sexual or aggressive motives, Adler suggested that individuals are primarily motivated by their purposes and goals. He believed that people strive for perfection rather than pleasure. Adler argued that individuals could creatively act upon their genetic inheritance and environmental experiences to shape their own lives, emphasizing conscious motivation over...
1.3K
Bullying02:04

Bullying

A modern form of aggression is bullying. As you learn in your study of child development, socializing and playing with other children is beneficial for children’s psychological development. However, as you may have experienced as a child, not all play behavior has positive outcomes. Some children are aggressive and want to play roughly. Other children are selfish and do not want to share toys. One form of negative social interactions among children that has become a national concern is...
8.5K
Socioemotional Development during Infancy01:30

Socioemotional Development during Infancy

Socio-emotional development in infancy is primarily shaped by early emotional responses and social connections, with temperament playing a central role. Temperament refers to the consistent patterns in an individual's emotional and behavioral responses, observable even in infancy. By examining temperament, researchers can better understand an infant's unique ways of interacting with the world, influencing subsequent personality and socio-emotional growth.
Primary Temperament Types
159
Stress and Mental Health01:30

Stress and Mental Health

Chronic stress profoundly affects mental health, significantly influencing mood, behavior, and overall quality of life. Research closely links chronic stress with mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, and substance use disorders. Ongoing exposure to stress can lead to physiological and psychological changes, initiating a cycle of emotional distress and maladaptive coping mechanisms.
Individuals with depression often experience challenges in both their personal and professional...
228
Psychological and Sociocultural Causes of Schizophrenia01:29

Psychological and Sociocultural Causes of Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia, a complex psychiatric disorder, has been historically misunderstood. Early psychological theories attributed its origins to childhood trauma and unresponsive parenting. However, contemporary research largely rejects these notions, favoring the vulnerability-stress hypothesis. This model proposes that individuals with a genetic predisposition to schizophrenia may develop the disorder following exposure to significant environmental stressors. Notably, studies on high-risk...
212