Gender-specific effect of pregnancy-related anxiety on preschooler's emotional and behavioral development: A population-based cohort study.

BACKGROUND

Pregnancy-related anxiety plays a major role in shaping offspring's neural development. However, its gender-specific effect on children's emotional and behavioral development is controversial and the knowledge of critical period is limited. This study aims to examine gender-specific effect of pregnancy-related anxiety on preschooler's emotional and behavioral development.

METHODS

This study was based on the China-Anhui Birth Cohort Study (C-ABCS). A total of 3443 mother-child pairs were included in final data analysis. Pregnancy-related anxiety was assessed by Pregnancy-Related Anxiety Questionnaire respectively in the 1 and 3 trimester of pregnancy. Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaires (SDQ) were completed by parents to assess preschool emotional and behavioral development in boys and girls. Logistic regression models were used to examine the association between pregnancy-related anxiety and preschoolers' emotional and behavioral problems.

RESULTS

The overall prevalence of pregnancy-related anxiety was 31.6%. Compared with those whose mothers without pregnancy-related anxiety in either 1 or 3 trimester, preschool boys born of mothers with pregnancy-related anxiety in the 1 trimester and in the 3 trimester had an increased risk of conduct problems. Pregnancy-related anxiety in the 1, 3 trimester and in both trimesters all related with preschool boys' hyperactivity and total difficult problems. Pregnancy-related anxiety in the 1 trimester and in both 1 and 3 trimester increased the risk of preschool girls' emotional problems and total difficult problems.

CONCLUSION

Pregnancy-related anxiety may relate with preschool boys' externalizing problems in early and late of pregnancy and increase the risk of internalizing problems in girls in early pregnancy.

LIMITATIONS

There was no data on pregnancy-related anxiety in the second trimester.