A prospective study of maternal anxiety, perceived stress, and depressive symptoms in relation to infant cognitive development

• Published in: Early human development Vol. 87; no. 5; pp. 373 - 380
• Main Authors: Keim, Sarah A, Daniels, Julie L, Dole, Nancy, Herring, Amy H, Siega-Riz, Anna Maria, Scheidt, Peter C
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier Ireland Ltd 01-05-2011; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Advanced Basic Science; Anxiety; Anxiety - psychology; Biological and medical sciences; Child development; Child Development - physiology; Cognition - physiology; Cognitive ability; Depression; Depression - psychology; Development; Female; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Infants; Infection; Inventories; Language; Learning; Linear Models; Male; Medical sciences; Mood disorders; Mothers - psychology; Motor skill learning; Motor skills; Motor Skills - physiology; Neonatal and Perinatal Medicine; Nutrition; Postpartum; Postpartum Period; Pregnancy; Prospective Studies; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Sensorimotor integration; Stress; Stress, Psychological - psychology; Surveys and Questionnaires; Visual Perception - physiology; Pregnancy; Depression; Child development; Language; Motor skills; Human; Mood disorder; Affect affectivity; Infant; Maternal diseases; Stress; Prospective; Anxiety; Cognitive development; Child
• ISSN: 0378-3782; 1872-6232
• DOI: 10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2011.02.004

Abstract Aim Our objective was to examine the associations between maternal psychological health (trait anxiety, perceived stress, and depressive symptoms) during pregnancy or postpartum and infant visual, language, motor, and overall cognitive development. Study Design and Methods In the prospective Pregnancy, Infection, and Nutrition Study (2001–2006), central North Carolina women completed self-administered questionnaires during pregnancy to assess trait anxiety and depressive symptoms. An in-person interview assessed maternal perceived stress and depressive symptoms in the 4th postpartum month. Infant development was assessed at 12 months using the Mullen Scales of Early Learning (n = 358). Multiple linear regression with restricted cubic splines was used to examine potential non-linear associations between trait anxiety, perceived stress, and depressive symptoms in relation to Mullen sub-scales and Composite scores. Results Increasing maternal anxiety was associated with poorer overall cognition (adjusted β for Composite = − 0.2, 95% CI: −0.4, 0.0). Postpartum stress was positively associated with language development and general cognition (adjusted β for Expressive Language = 0.2, 95% CI: 0.0, 0.4; adjusted β for Composite = 0.3, 95% CI: 0.0, 0.6). Elevated depressive symptoms throughout pregnancy and postpartum were associated with better fine motor skills (adjusted β = 9.7, 95% CI: 3.9, 15.5). Anxiety, postpartum depressive symptoms and stress were associated with gross motor skills in a non-linear fashion, as were postpartum depressive symptoms and stress with expressive language. Conclusions Maternal trait anxiety, depressive symptoms and stress had little negative influence on infant cognitive development. In fact, moderate psychosocial distress may slightly accelerate motor development in particular, and some aspects of language.