Perinatal Maternal Anxiety and Depressive Symptoms and Child Executive Function and Attention at Two-years of Age. Issue 6 (17th August 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ross, Kharah M.; Letourneau, Nicole; Climie, Emma; Giesbrecht, Gerald; Dewey, Deborah
• Is Part Of: Developmental neuropsychology. Volume 45:Issue 6(2020)
• Page Start: 380
• Page End: 395
• Publication Date: 2020-08-17
• Subjects: Neuropsychology -- Periodicals; 612.8
• DOI: 10.1080/87565641.2020.1838525
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 8756-5641

Abstract

ABSTRACT: The objective was to investigate whether perinatal maternal anxiety and depressive symptoms predicted child attention and executive function (EF). Mothers (N = 614) reported pregnancy and three-months postnatal anxiety and depressive symptoms. Attention and EF were measured at two-years-of-age. Covariates were demographics, alcohol use, mood disorder history, and pregnancy factors. Higher prenatal anxiety, b(SE) =.020(.005), p <.001, and postnatal depressive symptoms, b(SE) =.009(.004), p =.04, predicted poorer child attention. A prenatal-by-postnatal depressive symptom interaction emerged, b(SE) = −.005(.003), p =.04: When pregnancy depressive symptoms were low, higher postnatal symptoms predicted poorer attention. No distress variables predicted EF, p 's>.22. Perinatal distress timing, kind, and change were important for child attention.