Evaluating Associations Among Maternal ACEs, Perinatal Depression, and Infant Experiences of Adversity

The growing literature on the intergenerational transmission of childhood adversity highlights the need to identify potential mechanisms underlying the relationship between maternal and infant adversity. This study examines prenatal and postpartum depressive symptoms as mediators between maternal ACEs and postpartum infant experiences of adversity.

A diverse sample of 168 low-income, pregnant women (39% white) were recruited from urban prenatal clinics and followed for one-year post childbirth. Maternal childhood adversity and prenatal depressive symptoms were assessed during pregnancy, postpartum depressive symptoms were assessed at 6 months postpartum, and infant experiences of adversity at 12 months postpartum.

The total indirect effect of maternal ACEs on infant experiences of adversity through prenatal and postpartum depressive symptoms was significant, indicating that these symptoms collectively mediate this relationship. Additionally, our results demonstrated a mediated pathway in which maternal ACEs contributed directly to prenatal depression, which in turn indirectly influenced postpartum depression and infant experiences of adversity.

Findings provide evidence for perinatal depressive symptoms as a potential mechanism that influences infant exposure to adverse experiences. Future research should explore these pathways in larger, more robust samples to clarify the role of postpartum depressive symptoms.