Maternal anxiety and attention problems in children at 5 and 14 years.

OBJECTIVE

This study examines the association between maternal anxiety from pregnancy to 5 years and child attention problems at 5 and 14 years.

METHOD

Birth cohort of 3,982 individuals born in Brisbane between 1981 and 1983 are assessed. Self-reported measures of maternal anxiety are assessed at four time points. Maternal reports of child attention problems using Achenbach's Child Behavior Checklist are assessed at 5 and 14 years.

RESULTS

Children of mothers experiencing anxiety during or after pregnancy are at greater risk of experiencing attention problems at 5 and 14 years. After adjusting for maternal age and child's gender, antenatal anxiety is strongly associated with persistent attention problems (OR = 3.65, 95% CI = 2.19, 6.07). Children with chronically anxious mothers are 5.67 (95% CI = 3.56, 9.03) times more likely to have persistent attention problems. These associations remain consistent after adjusting for potential confounders.

CONCLUSIONS

Maternal anxiety appears to increase the rate of child attention problems and identifies a need for treatment programs to have a dual focus-the mother and her child.