Thiel Freya, Eberhard-Gran Malin, Garthus-Niegel Susan
Department of Medicine, Faculty of Human Sciences, Medical School Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany.
Department for Infant Mental Health, Regional Centre for Child and Adolescent Mental Health (RBUP), Eastern and Southern Norway, Oslo, Norway.
J Dev Behav Pediatr. 2021 May 1;42(4):299-306. doi: 10.1097/DBP.0000000000000887.
Accumulating evidence suggests a persistent impact of perinatal exposure to maternal stress on the infant. In utero, the fetus is particularly vulnerable to maternal stress and mental health complications with various long-term consequences. This study examines the prospective relationship of subclinical maternal perinatal life stress based on individual responses to stressful life events and infant temperament and child development.
Data were derived from the Akershus Birth Cohort, a longitudinal cohort study including 3,752 women scheduled to give birth at Akershus University Hospital, Norway. Psychometric measures pertained to perinatal life stress, maternal perinatal depression (Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale), difficult infant temperament at 8 weeks (Infant Characteristics Questionnaire), and child development 2 years after birth (Ages & Stages Questionnaire).
Perinatal life stress predicted difficult infant temperament at 8 weeks and challenges in social-emotional development at 2 years above and beyond demographics, pregnancy, and childbirth-related and postpartum factors.
Life events perceived as severely distressing in the peripartum period pose a burden on mothers and may have potentially detrimental long-term effects on neurobiological and social-emotional child development. Our findings highlight the need for person-centered perinatal care and support of mothers facing difficult life events. Clinical awareness of in utero development and its relationship to maternal psychological health is warranted to intervene effectively. Future research should consider the timing of in utero exposure and neurobiological and environmental mechanisms pertaining to the relationship between maternal perinatal life stress and child development.
越来越多的证据表明围产期暴露于母亲压力对婴儿有持续影响。在子宫内，胎儿特别容易受到母亲压力和心理健康并发症的影响，并产生各种长期后果。本研究基于个体对压力性生活事件的反应，考察亚临床母亲围产期生活压力与婴儿气质及儿童发育之间的前瞻性关系。
数据来自阿克什胡斯出生队列，这是一项纵向队列研究，包括3752名计划在挪威阿克什胡斯大学医院分娩的女性。心理测量指标涉及围产期生活压力、母亲围产期抑郁（爱丁堡产后抑郁量表）、8周时难养型婴儿气质（婴儿特征问卷）以及出生后2年的儿童发育情况（年龄与阶段问卷）。
围产期生活压力预示着8周时婴儿气质难养，以及2岁时社会情感发展方面的挑战，这超出了人口统计学、怀孕、分娩相关及产后因素的影响。
在围产期被视为极具压力的生活事件给母亲带来负担，可能对儿童神经生物学和社会情感发育产生潜在的有害长期影响。我们的研究结果凸显了以个体为中心的围产期护理以及对面临困难生活事件的母亲给予支持的必要性。有必要提高对子宫内发育及其与母亲心理健康关系的临床认识，以便有效干预。未来的研究应考虑子宫内暴露的时间以及与母亲围产期生活压力和儿童发育关系相关的神经生物学和环境机制。
