Hair cortisol in pregnancy interacts with maternal depressive symptoms to predict maternal disrupted interaction with her infant at 4 months

Abstract

Disrupted maternal interaction in early infancy is associated with maladaptive child outcomes. Thus, identifying early risk factors for disrupted interaction is an important challenge. Research suggests that maternal depressive symptoms and maternal cortisol dysregulation are associated with disrupted maternal interaction, but both factors have rarely been considered together as independent or interactive predictors of disrupted interaction. In a sample of 51 women, hair cortisol concentrations (HCC) and depressive symptoms were assessed during pregnancy, and depressive symptoms were assessed again at 4‐month postpartum. Maternal disrupted interaction was assessed during the Still‐Face Paradigm at 4 months. Results indicated that HCC and depressive symptoms interacted to predict both maternal withdrawing and inappropriate/intrusive interaction. Withdrawing interaction was associated with high levels of HCC in pregnancy in the context of high depressive symptoms at 4 months; inappropriate/intrusive interaction was associated with high levels of HCC in the context of low depressive symptoms. Thus, high HCC potentiated both forms of disrupted interaction. Results raised questions about the meaning of very low reported depressive symptoms, and underscored the importance of chronic stress physiology and maternal depressed mood as risk factors for distinct forms of maternal disrupted interaction, both of which are deleterious for infant development.

An exploratory study of perinatal hair cortisol concentrations in mother–infant dyads with severe psychiatric disorders versus healthy controls

“…Furthermore, two studies found that elevated maternal HCC during pregnancy mediated disrupted mother–child interaction in early infancy. 26 , 41 These results suggest that maternal stress (i.e. psychiatric symptoms) is inconsistently related to maternal and/or infant HCC, but independently, maternal HCC seems to influence infant cortisol and mother–child interaction both in the early postpartum period and beyond.…”

Patterns of Maternal Childhood Maltreatment and Disrupted Interaction Between Mothers and Their 4-Month-Old Infants

“…While initially used with infants aged 12-18 months (Lyons-Ruth et al, 1999), AMBIANCE coding instructions also include considerations for coding younger infants. Prior studies have applied this coding in the SFP (Crockett et al, 2013;Khoury Bosquet, et al, 2020;Nystro ¨m-Hansen et al, 2019). Sociodemographic information.…”

Prenatal Broken Bonds: Trauma, Dissociation and the Calming Womb Model

“…Such finding may expedite timely prenatal interventions geared to support and treat pregnant maternal deficits which may result in adaptive maternal interactions in early infancy. Most recently, Khoury et al (2020) reported study results that reflect the importance of measuring high levels of HCC on pregnant mothers and depression. According to the findings both HCC and depressive symptoms interacted to predict both maternal withdrawing (high depressive symptoms with HCC) and inappropriate/intrusive interaction (low depressive symptoms with HCC).…”

“…Interrupted prenatal bonding and maternal interactions in early infancy are associated with deficient child outcomes. Thus, the benefits of identifying early risk factors for such disrupted interactions (Khoury et al, 2020). Nyström-Hansen et al (2019) recent study points to the prospect of third trimester high cortisol concentrations (HCC), being a possible prenatal indicator for upcoming parenting difficulties and deficits in expectant mothers with severe mental illness and histories of adverse childhood experiences.…”