Cognitive development in children of adolescent mothers: The impact of socioeconomic risk and maternal sensitivity

Christine Firk; Kerstin Konrad; Beate Herpertz-Dahlmann; Wolfgang Scharke; Brigitte Dahmen

doi:10.1016/j.infbeh.2018.02.002

Cognitive development in children of adolescent mothers: The impact of socioeconomic risk and maternal sensitivity

Infant Behav Dev. 2018 Feb:50:238-246. doi: 10.1016/j.infbeh.2018.02.002. Epub 2018 Feb 12.

Authors

Christine Firk¹, Kerstin Konrad², Beate Herpertz-Dahlmann³, Wolfgang Scharke⁴, Brigitte Dahmen³

Affiliations

¹ Child Neuropsychology Section, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, Germany. Electronic address: cfirk@ukaachen.de.
² Child Neuropsychology Section, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, Germany; JARA-Brain Institute II, Molecular Neuroscience and Neuroimaging, RWTH Aachen & Research Centre Juelich, Germany.
³ Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, Germany.
⁴ Child Neuropsychology Section, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, Germany.

PMID: 29448186
DOI: 10.1016/j.infbeh.2018.02.002

Abstract

Background: Adolescent motherhood is accompanied by a constellation of risk factors that translate into developmental risk for the off-spring. Socioeconomic risk that is associated with adolescent motherhood as well as maternal interactive behaviors may contribute to the impact of adolescent motherhood on children's developmental outcome.

Objective: Therefore, the aim of the current study was to investigate differences in children's cognitive development between children of adolescent and adult mothers in their first two years of life and to examine whether socioeconomic risk (e.g. such as educational and financial problems) and/or maternal sensitivity mediate developmental differences between children of adolescent and adult mothers.

Methods: Adolescent mothers (<21 years; N = 64) and adult mothers (>25 years; N = 34) and their infants were included in the current study. Child cognitive development and maternal sensitivity were assessed at three different time points (T1: mean child age 5.26 months; T2: mean child age 14.69 months; T3: mean child age 21.16 months).

Results: Children of adult mothers showed better cognitive performance at T3 compared to children of adolescent mothers but not at T1 and T2. A multiple mediation model including socioeconomic risk and maternal sensitivity as serial mediators demonstrated that the effect of adolescent motherhood on cognitive development was mediated in a causal effect chain with socioeconomic risk negatively affecting maternal sensitivity and maternal sensitivity affecting children's cognitive development.

Discussion: The present findings demonstrate that maternal interactive behaviors are not only a simple predictor of cognitive development but may also act as a mediator of the association between more distal variables such as socioeconomic risk and cognitive development in adolescent mothers. This supports the need to promote prevention and intervention programs for adolescent mothers during the early postpartum period to reduce socioeconomic problems and enhance maternal interactive behaviors.

Keywords: Adolescent parenthood; Child cognitive development; Maternal sensitivity; Socioeconomic risk.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Adult
Age Factors
Child Development / physiology*
Child, Preschool
Cognition / physiology*
Female
Humans
Infant
Male
Maternal Behavior / psychology*
Mothers / education
Mothers / psychology*
Pregnancy
Pregnancy in Adolescence / psychology*
Risk Factors
Social Class*
Young Adult