The impact of maternal prenatal and postnatal anxiety on children’s emotional problems: a systematic review

Abstract

Maternal mental health problems during pregnancy and the postnatal period are a major public health issue. Despite evidence that symptoms of both depression and anxiety are common during pregnancy and the postpartum, the impact of maternal anxiety on the child has received relatively less attention than the impact of maternal depression. Furthermore, the evidence base for the direct impact of maternal anxiety during pregnancy and the postpartum on children's emotional outcomes lacks cohesion. The aim of this systematic review is to summarise the empirical evidence regarding the impact of maternal prenatal and postnatal anxiety on children's emotional outcomes. Overall, both maternal prenatal and postnatal anxiety have a small adverse effect on child emotional outcomes. However, the evidence appears stronger for the negative impact of prenatal anxiety. Several methodological weaknesses make conclusions problematic and replication of findings is required to improve the identification of at-risk parents and children with appropriate opportunities for intervention and prevention.

Perinatal depression and anxiety of primipara is higher than that of multipara in Japanese women

“…Increasing child care experience could be a promising way to prevent or mitigate PPD in primiparas 39 . Perinatal maternal anxiety exposure may lead to negative outcomes in child development, and more evidence is needed 40 . When comparing primiparas and multiparas, the NP and SR subscale scores of the J-SSQ were higher in primiparas than in multiparas.…”

Perinatal mental health: a review of progress and challenges

“…However, in several studies, these associations are attenuated or no longer evident after adjustment for confounders. Moreover, in the studies that included multiple informants, these associations were found using maternal but not teacher‐reported child outcomes 66 , suggesting recall bias. Interestingly, women with anxiety disorders in one study perceived themselves to have bonding problems, yet the quality of their observed mother‐infant interactions at three months postpartum was similar to the general population 67 .…”

Association of Prenatal Maternal Psychological Distress With Fetal Brain Growth, Metabolism, and Cortical Maturation

“…Perinatal mental health problems are a major public health issue and are associated with detrimental and enduring consequences on maternal and child health. [1][2][3][4] Depression and anxiety are the most common mental health problems during pregnancy, although prevalence rates vary by population characteristics, timing, and type of screening used. Previous systematic reviews have suggested that up to 18% of pregnant women experience depression, 14% to 54% experience anxiety, and many experience both.…”