1,177
Views
32
CrossRef citations to date
0
Altmetric
Articles

Maternal psychological state and infant’s temperament at three months

Pages 520-534 | Received 09 Jan 2014, Accepted 19 Jul 2014, Published online: 15 Sep 2014
 

Abstract

Objective: The study aimed to investigate the possible relationship between maternal psychological state in the perinatal period and the child’s temperament at 3 months postpartum. Background: The perinatal period is a phase of intense psychological complexity which may increase the risk of the development, or a recurrence of psychological disturbances in parents. The current literature highlights the potential negative effects of a perturbed maternal psychological state on fetal and newborn development. Among the consequences of fetal exposure to maternal states of depression or anxiety are increased inconsolable crying and sleep disturbance in the newborn, difficult temperament, motor and cognitive development delays in children and a higher risk of depression in adolescence. Methods: A longitudinal design using self-report measures of maternal mood, and maternal report of the infant’s temperament, was used. The sample comprised 107 Italian, low-risk nulliparous women. Maternal and infant variables were assessed in the third trimester of pregnancy and at 3 months postpartum. The variables measured included: maternal depression, anxiety, prenatal attachment, alexithymia, social support, maternal bonding with parents, stressful events, and the infant’s temperament. Results: Higher scores of antenatal depression and postnatal state anxiety were independent predictors of increased temperamental difficulties of the baby. Conclusion: The results support the hypothesis that maternal perinatal states of depression or anxiety are associated with increased difficulty in the temperament of the baby as perceived by mothers. This therefore supports the need for prevention-treatment programmes from the early stages of pregnancy.

Acknowledgements

A special thanks to the women who took part in this project and to Professor Jenovia Smith for her precious help with the translation of the article.

Log in via your institution

Log in to Taylor & Francis Online

PDF download + Online access

  • 48 hours access to article PDF & online version
  • Article PDF can be downloaded
  • Article PDF can be printed
USD 53.00 Add to cart

Issue Purchase

  • 30 days online access to complete issue
  • Article PDFs can be downloaded
  • Article PDFs can be printed
USD 515.00 Add to cart

* Local tax will be added as applicable

Related Research

People also read lists articles that other readers of this article have read.

Recommended articles lists articles that we recommend and is powered by our AI driven recommendation engine.

Cited by lists all citing articles based on Crossref citations.
Articles with the Crossref icon will open in a new tab.