Can Maternal Prenatal Self-Reported and Physiological Distress Predict Postnatal Caregiving Practices?

Sterre S H Simons; Kelly H M Cooijmans; Roseriet Beijers; Carolina de Weerth

Can Maternal Prenatal Self-Reported and Physiological Distress Predict Postnatal Caregiving Practices?

Yale J Biol Med. 2022 Mar 31;95(1):3-17. eCollection 2022 Mar.

Authors

Sterre S H Simons¹, Kelly H M Cooijmans^{1

2}, Roseriet Beijers^{1

2}, Carolina de Weerth²

Affiliations

¹ Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
² Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.

PMID: 35370494
PMCID: PMC8961710

Abstract

Maternal prenatal distress is associated with child outcomes, including health, neurocognitive, and socio-emotional development. Knowledge on underlying mechanisms is limited, yet relevant for prevention and intervention. This study investigated whether maternal prenatal distress predicts specific caregiving practices that are known for their effects on child outcomes. Caregiving practices studied were maternal caregiving quality and the initiation and course of breastfeeding and room-sharing. We hypothesized that more maternal prenatal distress would be associated with altered caregiving practices. Participants were 174 healthy mother-child dyads. During the 37^th week of pregnancy maternal self-reported distress was assessed using questionnaires, and physiological stress by collecting saliva cortisol. Maternal caregiving quality was observed in postnatal week 5 during infant bathing. Weekly diaries on breastfeeding and daily diaries on room-sharing were completed during the first 6 postnatal months. In a regression analysis, no associations between maternal prenatal distress and caregiving quality were found. Multilevel analyses indicated that maternal prenatal evening cortisol was positively related to the initiation of breastfeeding and room-sharing. Replications are warranted, but these results suggest that breastfeeding and room-sharing initiation may be part of a mechanism underlying links between maternal prenatal physiological stress and child outcomes. As other prenatal cortisol markers and self-reported distress were not found to be related to the caregiving practices, it is likely that alternative mechanisms (co-)exist in explaining links between maternal prenatal distress and child outcomes. Future replication research including child outcomes and (other) potential mechanisms will inform prevention and intervention programs fostering healthy pregnancies and child development.

Keywords: breastfeeding; caregiving quality; cortisol; maternal prenatal distress; room-sharing; self-report.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

Female
Humans
Hydrocortisone
Infant
Pregnancy
Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects* / psychology
Saliva / chemistry
Self Report
Stress, Psychological*

Substances

Hydrocortisone