Developmental pathways from maternal history of childhood maltreatment and maternal depression to toddler attachment and early childhood behavioral outcomes

Alto, Michelle E.; Warmingham, Jennifer M.; Handley, Elizabeth D.; Rogosch, Fred A.; Cicchetti, Dante; Toth, Sheree L.

doi:10.1080/14616734.2020.1734642

Cited by 11 publications

(25 citation statements)

References 63 publications

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“…Maternal childhood trauma has also been associated with a variety of adverse child outcomes such as preterm birth and low birth weight [ 48 ], difficult temperament [ 49 ], developmental delays [ 50 ], emotional and behavioral difficulties [ 51 ], poor overall health [ 52 ] and insecure or disorganized attachment [ 53 ]. Importantly, maternal mental health would be a crucial mechanism linking exposure to trauma in mothers to poor maternal confidence and antenatal attachment [ 6 ], pregnancy complications [ 54 ] as well as to poor child outcomes [ 55 ]. Our findings suggest that pregnant women and expecting men who experienced significant adversity during their childhood should be considered as particularly vulnerable and should be closely monitored.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cumulative childhood trauma and complex psychiatric symptoms in pregnant women and expecting men

Garon-Bissonnette

Bolduc

Lemieux

et al. 2022

BMC Pregnancy Childbirth

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Background Women and men having been exposed to childhood trauma would be at high risk of various mental health symptoms while awaiting a child. This study aimed to evaluate the association between cumulative childhood trauma and the accumulation of symptoms belonging to different psychiatric problems in pregnant women and expecting men. Methods We first examined prevalence rates of childhood trauma across our samples of 2853 pregnant women and 561 expecting men from the community. Second, we evaluated the association between cumulative childhood trauma and symptom complexity (i.e., the simultaneous presentation of symptoms belonging to multiple psychiatric problems) using subsamples of 1779 pregnant women and 118 expecting men. Participants completed self-reported measures of trauma (Childhood Trauma Questionnaire) and psychiatric symptoms (PTSD Checklist for DSM-5; Kessler Psychological Distress Scale; State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory-2; Self and Interpersonal Functioning Scale). Results Trauma was more frequent in pregnant women than in expecting men and in participants reporting sociodemographic risk factors than in those not reporting any. A dose-response relationship was observed between the number of different traumas reported by pregnant women and expecting men and the complexity of their psychiatric symptoms, even when controlling for the variance explained by other risk factors. Women having been exposed to cumulative childhood trauma were 4.95 times more at risk of presenting comorbid psychiatric problems during pregnancy than non-exposed women. Conclusions Childhood trauma is frequent in the general population of pregnant women and expecting men and is associated with symptom complexity during the antenatal period. These findings call for delivering and evaluating innovative trauma-informed antenatal programs to support mental health and adaptation to parenthood in adults having been exposed to childhood trauma.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cumulative childhood trauma and complex psychiatric symptoms in pregnant women and expecting men

Garon-Bissonnette

Bolduc

Lemieux

et al. 2022

BMC Pregnancy Childbirth

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“…In our review, the stress indicators varied from prenatal stress, such as maternal stress, childhood maltreatment, IUGR to postnatal stress, to infant exposure to pain, hypo-, or hyperoxia stressors. Besides prenatal mitochondrial energetic transgenerational transmission we discussed above, during the postnatal period, impaired maternal caregiving capacity [93], poor bonding, and MCM associated depression [94] may be the major causes of developmental deficit in infants. Animal experiments showed that maternal separation in early life caused cognitive dysfunction that could persist in adolescence [95].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Associations of Mitochondrial Function, Stress, and Neurodevelopmental Outcomes in Early Life: A Systematic Review

et al. 2022

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Early life stress is commonly experienced by infants, especially preterm infants that may impact their neurodevelopmental outcomes in their early and later life. Mitochondrial function/dysfunction may play an important role underlying the linkage of prenatal and postnatal stress and neurodevelopmental outcomes in infants. This review aims to provide insights on the relationship between early life stress and neurodevelopment, and the mechanisms of mitochondrial function/dysfunction that contribute to the neuropathology of stress. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) statement was used to develop this systematic review. PubMed, Scopus, PsycINFO, and Biosis databases were searched for primary research articles published between 2010-2021 that examined the relationships among mitochondrial function/dysfunction, infant stress, and neurodevelopment. Thirty studies were identified. There is evidence to support that mitochondrial function/dysfunction mediates the relationship between prenatal and postnatal stress and neurodevelopmental outcomes in infants. Maternal transgenerational transmission of mitochondrial bioenergetic patterns influenced prenatal stress induced neurodevelopmental outcomes and behavioral changes in infants. Multiple functionally relevant mitochondrial proteins, genes and polymorphisms were associated with stress exposure. This is the first review of the role that mitochondrial function/dysfunction plays in the association between stress and neurodevelopmental outcomes in full-term and preterm infants. Although multiple limitations were found based on the lack of data on the influence of biological sex, and due to invasive sampling, and lack of longitudinal data, many genes and proteins associated with mitochondrial function/dysfunction were found to influence neurodevelopmental outcomes in the early life of infants.

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“…The risk of the depressive symptoms being recurrent and persistent throughout adulthood is increased in those with exposure to childhood maltreatment (see meta-analysis, Nanni et al, 2012). Further, mothers with depression are more likely to have experienced all types of childhood maltreatment at greater severity as compared to mothers who do not have a history of maltreatment (Alto et al, 2020). Thus, there is a need for interventions supporting mothers with maltreatment histories to mitigate the impact on their psychological functioning.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Maternal History of Child Maltreatment and Household Chaos: Examining the Mediating Role of Maternal and Child Psychopathology

et al. 2022

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Caregiver history of childhood maltreatment can have pervasive effects on familial and household dynamics. Maternal history of child maltreatment (MCM) is linked to maternal depressive symptoms and offspring behavioural problems. Further, maternal and child mental health are associated with chaotic home environments. In this study, we examined the potential mediating roles of maternal depressive symptoms and child behavioural problems in the association between MCM and household chaos. A sample of 133 mother–child dyads participated in home visits during which mothers completed questionnaires measuring their history of child maltreatment, depressive symptoms, household chaos and child behaviour problems. Mothers also conducted videotaped home tours related to household chaos. Structural equation modelling results indicated that MCM was indirectly associated with higher household chaos via elevated maternal depressive symptoms and child externalizing, but not internalizing behaviour problems. Interventions aimed at mitigating the effects of MCM on maternal and child psychopathology may positively influence household dynamics.

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Developmental pathways from maternal history of childhood maltreatment and maternal depression to toddler attachment and early childhood behavioral outcomes

Cited by 11 publications

References 63 publications

Cumulative childhood trauma and complex psychiatric symptoms in pregnant women and expecting men

Cumulative childhood trauma and complex psychiatric symptoms in pregnant women and expecting men

Associations of Mitochondrial Function, Stress, and Neurodevelopmental Outcomes in Early Life: A Systematic Review

Maternal History of Child Maltreatment and Household Chaos: Examining the Mediating Role of Maternal and Child Psychopathology

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