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Socioeconomic resources moderate the relationship between maternal prenatal obsessive-compulsive symptoms and infant

Jason M Gibbs1, Nicki L Aubuchon-Endsley1

  • 1Idaho State University, Pocatello, ID, USA.

Infant Behavior & Development
|October 11, 2023
PubMed

Insights

Maternal prenatal obsessive-compulsive symptoms may impact infant negative affectivity, especially with fewer socioeconomic resources. However, this link was not significant when using observed infant behaviors.

Area of Science:

  • Psychiatry
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Perinatal Mental Health

Background:

  • Perinatal maternal mental health issues like depression and anxiety are linked to adverse infant outcomes.
  • The impact of maternal obsessive-compulsive symptomatology during the perinatal period on infant outcomes remains understudied.
  • Socioeconomic factors may influence the relationship between maternal mental health and infant development.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine the effects of prenatal and postnatal maternal obsessive-compulsive symptoms on infant behavioral reactivity at 6 months.
  • To assess if these effects persist beyond the influence of maternal depressive symptoms.
  • To investigate the moderating role of socioeconomic resources in these associations.

Main Methods:

  • Longitudinal study of 125 pregnant women from a Health Professional Shortage Area in the Midwest US.
  • Maternal questionnaires assessing obsessive-compulsive and depressive symptoms at 34 weeks gestation and 6 months postpartum.
  • Infant behavioral reactivity assessed at 6 months via behavioral observation and maternal report.

Main Results:

  • Maternal postnatal depressive symptoms were associated with higher infant negative affectivity reported by mothers.
  • Socioeconomic resources moderated the association between maternal prenatal obsessive-compulsive symptoms and mother-reported infant negative affectivity.
  • No significant associations were found when infant reactivity was measured by behavioral observation.

Conclusions:

  • Maternal obsessive-compulsive symptoms during pregnancy may be linked to infant negative affectivity, particularly in contexts of limited socioeconomic resources, when relying on maternal reports.
  • The findings highlight the importance of considering both maternal mental health and socioeconomic context in infant development.
  • Discrepancies between maternal report and observational data underscore the complexity of measuring infant behavioral reactivity.

Keywords:
DepressionInfant reactivityOCDPerinatalSER

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