Abstract
BackgroundMaternal prenatal stress is associated with worse socio-emotional outcomes in offspring throughout childhood. However, the association between prenatal stress and later caregiving sensitivity is not well understood, despite the significant role that caregiving quality plays in child socio-emotional development. The goal of this study was to examine whether dimensions of pregnancy-specific stress are correlated with observer-based postnatal maternal caregiving sensitivity in pregnant adolescents.MethodsHealthy, nulliparous pregnant adolescents (n = 244; 90 % LatinX) reported on their pregnancy-specific stress using the Revised Prenatal Distress Questionnaire (NuPDQ). Of these 244, 71 participated in a follow-up visit at 14 months postpartum. Videotaped observations of mother-child free play interactions at 14 months postpartum were coded for maternal warmth and contingent responsiveness. Confirmatory factor analysis of the NuPDQ supported a three-factor model of pregnancy-specific stress, with factors including stress about the social and economic context, baby’s health, and physical symptoms of pregnancy.ResultsGreater pregnancy-specific stress about social and economic context and physical symptoms of pregnancy was associated with reduced maternal warmth but not contingent responsiveness.ConclusionsHeightened maternal stress about the social and economic context of the perinatal period and physical symptoms of pregnancy may already signal future difficulties in caregiving and provide an optimal opening for early parenting interventions.
Highlights
Maternal prenatal stress is associated with worse socio-emotional outcomes in offspring throughout childhood
Pregnant women ages 14–19 receiving prenatal care and not experiencing significant pregnancy complications were recruited in the original study, which sought to assess the influence of maternal prenatal stress and poor nutrition on offspring cognitive development
We found that greater prenatal stress about physical symptoms of pregnancy and pregnancy-related social and economic concerns were significantly associated with reduced maternal warmth but not contingent responsiveness at 14 months postpartum
Summary
Maternal prenatal stress is associated with worse socio-emotional outcomes in offspring throughout childhood. The association between prenatal stress and later caregiving sensitivity is not well understood, despite the significant role that caregiving quality plays in child socio-emotional development. A recent metaanalysis of 71 studies found a weighted average effect size of 1.66 (95 % CI = 1.54–1.79) for the association between prenatal maternal stress and offspring socioemotional outcomes up to age 18 [1]. Studies that examine the association of prenatal stress with offspring outcomes years later often do not consider caregiving sensitivity as a potential mediator or moderator of the relationship between prenatal stress and offspring socio-emotional development, even though and prenatal maternal stress has been demonstrated to be associated with suboptimal caregiving sensitivity [7,8,9,10]. Contingent responsiveness refers to prompt, appropriate behaviors in response to the child’s cues, such as following the child’s lead and pacing and displaying flexibility in adjusting to the child’s play interests [12]
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