Luo Mannan, Pappa Irene, Cecil Charlotte A M, Jansen Philip, van IJzendoorn Marinus H, Kok Rianne
Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Burg. Oudlaan 50, 3062, Rotterdam, PA, Netherlands.
Generation R Study Group, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands.
Child Psychiatry Hum Dev. 2022 Aug;53(4):654-666. doi: 10.1007/s10578-021-01154-1. Epub 2021 Mar 20.
A potential pathway underlying the association between prenatal exposure to maternal psychological problems and childhood externalizing problems is child self-regulation. This prospective study (N = 687) examined whether self-regulated compliance mediates the relation between maternal affective problems and hostility during pregnancy and childhood externalizing problems, and explored moderation by child polygenic risk scores for aggression and sex. Self-regulated compliance at age 3 was observed in mother-child interactions, and externalizing problems at age 6 were reported by mothers and teachers. Polygenic risk scores were calculated based on a genome-wide association study of aggressive behavior. Self-regulated compliance mediated the associations between maternal psychological problems and externalizing problems. Aggression PRS was associated with higher externalizing problems reported by mothers. No evidence was found of moderation by aggression PRS or sex. These findings support the hypothesis that maternal psychological problems during pregnancy might influence externalizing problems through early self-regulation, regardless of child genetic susceptibility or sex.
产前暴露于母亲心理问题与儿童外化问题之间关联的一个潜在途径是儿童自我调节。这项前瞻性研究（N = 687）考察了自我调节的依从性是否介导了孕期母亲情感问题与敌意以及儿童外化问题之间的关系，并探讨了儿童攻击行为和性别的多基因风险评分的调节作用。在母婴互动中观察了3岁时的自我调节依从性，母亲和教师报告了6岁时的外化问题。基于攻击行为的全基因组关联研究计算了多基因风险评分。自我调节依从性介导了母亲心理问题与外化问题之间的关联。攻击行为多基因风险评分与母亲报告的较高外化问题相关。未发现攻击行为多基因风险评分或性别有调节作用的证据。这些发现支持了这样的假设，即孕期母亲心理问题可能通过早期自我调节影响外化问题，而与儿童的遗传易感性或性别无关。
