Perinatal discrimination and maternal depressive symptoms associated with infant development in African American...

Research has documented elevated experiences of racial discrimination among African American families, and its adverse impacts on their psychological well-being. However, most studies have investigated the experiences of and consequences for older children and adults. The goal of the current study was to examine the relations among mothers' perception of discrimination during pregnancy, pre- and post-natal depressive symptoms, and infant development in African American families from low-income backgrounds. Using a longitudinal design with questionnaires and direct assessments, this study included 118 African American mothers (and infants) who participated in three data collection sessions: the third trimester of pregnancy (home); 4 weeks postpartum (phone); and when infants were 4-6 months old (home). Analyses revealed that mothers' perceived prenatal discrimination was strongly associated with depressive symptomatology and that maternal depression was related to infant cognitive and fine motor skills. Perceived prenatal discrimination was significantly related to infant cognitive development. For mothers with higher levels of perceived discrimination, a higher level of depressive symptomatology was related to receptive language. These findings are considered in the context of the extant literature on perinatal stress, maternal functioning, and young infant outcomes. Implications for early childhood and infant mental health practice are discussed.