Maternal stress and interpersonal sensitivity during pregnancy: impact on offspring's stress and temperament

Prenatal events can influence maternal and offspring health, as supported by Barker's Hypothesis, which suggests that early environmental factors affect long-term health. Maternal interpersonal sensitivity (insecurity and discomfort in social interactions) has been linked to offspring introversion and depression in adulthood. Several studies have further established an association between maternal HPA axis activation, as measured by cortisol release, and adverse outcomes in child development.

For that reason, this study assessed how maternal hair cortisol concentrations (HCC), prenatal stress and prenatal interpersonal sensitivity relate to offspring HCC and temperament at 36 months.

51 mother-child-dyads participated, maternal stress was evaluated using psychological questionnaires, while interpersonal sensitivity was assessed with the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R). Besides, HCC were assessed during pregnancy and at 36 months of delivery. Children's temperament was assessed using the Emotionality, Activity and Sociability Temperament Survey (EAS).

A positive association was found between maternal prenatal HCC and interpersonal sensitivity with child HCC at 36 months. Besides, higher prenatal maternal interpersonal sensitivity was related to low offspring sociability at 36 months.

These novel findings are of clinical relevance given the role of cortisol in offspring development and the potentially negative consequences of reduced sociability during childhood, which include rejection, low self-esteem, and increased risks of anxiety, depression, and internalising disorders.