Sex-dependent associations between maternal prenatal cortisol and child callous-unemotional traits: Findings from the Wirral Child Health and Development Study

Wright, Nicola; Pickles, Andrew; Braithwaite, Elizabeth; Sharp, Helen; Hill, Jonathan

doi:10.1016/j.psyneuen.2019.104409

Cited by 7 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 82 publications

(110 reference statements)

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Mothers unable to understand the German language, in advanced pregnancy (> 19 weeks) or not able to participate in laboratory assessments five months after childbirth were not included into the study. One-hundred and eight mothers took part in the initial assessments during pregnancy (see [ 43 , 44 ] for the course and interrelations of prenatal stress measures and infant development). Assessments took place during the first trimester (t1), second trimester (t2) and third trimester (t3).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, some studies investigating sex interaction effects reported opposite effects depending on sex: Whereas higher cortisol predicted more emotional reactivity in girls, it predicted less emotional negativity [ 42 ] and less emotional reactivity [ 43 ] in boys. Another study found lower callous-emotional traits in girls exposed to higher prenatal cortisol, but no effect for boys [ 44 ]. Overall, while studies investigating sex-dependent effects of prenatal maternal cortisol are still too sparse to identify a comprehensive pattern, the ones that exist relatively consistently report sex differences in response to prenatal stress.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Prenatal stress and child externalizing behavior: effects of maternal perceived stress and cortisol are moderated by child sex

Fleck,

Fuchs,

Sele

et al. 2023

Child Adolesc Psychiatry Ment Health

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background Externalizing behavior problems are related to social maladjustment. Evidence indicates associations between prenatal stress and child behavioral outcomes. It remains unclear how psychological distress vs. biological correlates of stress (cortisol) differentially predict externalizing behavior, and how their effects might differ as a function of child sex. Method 108 pregnant women from the community collected salivary cortisol and reported their perceived stress during each trimester of pregnancy. At child age 9 years (M = 9.01, SD = 0.55), 70 mothers and children reported on child behavior. Structural equation modelling was used to analyze how cortisol levels and perceived stress during pregnancy predicted current child externalizing behavior, considering the moderating effect of child sex. Results Perceived stress predicted higher externalizing behavior in boys (β = 0.42, p = 0.009) and lower externalizing behavior in girls (β = − 0.56, p = 0.014). Cortisol predicted lower externalizing behavior in boys (β = − 0.81, p < .001) and was not related to girls’ externalizing behavior (β = 0.37, p = 0.200). Discussion/Conclusion Prenatal stress affected externalizing behavior differently in girls vs. boys. These response patters in turn differed for indicators of psychological vs. biological maternal stress, encouraging an integrated approach. Findings indicate that perceived stress and cortisol may affect child development via different trajectories.

show abstract

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prenatal stress and child externalizing behavior: effects of maternal perceived stress and cortisol are moderated by child sex

Fleck,

Fuchs,

Sele

et al. 2023

Child Adolesc Psychiatry Ment Health

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…37,38 Elevated maternal prenatal cortisol was also associated with lower child callousunemotional traits in female offspring, but not in male offspring at 2.5-5.0 years of age. 39 Wei et al reported that higher maternal prenatal depressive symptoms were associated with greater cortical surface area in male offspring and lower surface area in female offspring at 2 and 6 months of age, specifically in areas of the prefrontal cortex, superior temporal gyrus, and superior parietal lobule. 40 For reference, sex differences have been observed among rodents.…”

Section: Sex Differencesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Maternal prenatal psychological distress and motor/cognitive development in two-year-old offspring: The Japan Environment and Children’s Study

Mori

Nishigori²,

Ogata³

et al. 2023

J Dev Orig Health Dis

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Maternal prenatal psychological distress, including depression and anxiety, may affect offspring’s motor/cognitive development. However, research findings have been inconsistent. We used a dataset from the Japan Environment and Children’s Study to evaluate associations between maternal six-item Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K6) scores and motor/cognitive development among offspring at two years of age. Their offspring’s motor/cognitive development was assessed using the Kyoto Scale of Psychological Development 2001. Records for 1859 male and 1817 female offspring were analyzed. The maternal K6 was administered twice during pregnancy: at a median of 14.6 weeks (M-T1) and 27.3 weeks (M-T2) of gestation. Multiple regression analysis was performed with the group with K6 scores ≤4 at both M-T1 and M-T2 as a reference. In the group with K6 scores ≥5 at both M-T1 and M-T2, male offspring had significantly lower developmental quotients (DQ) in the posture-motor area (partial regression coefficient [B]: −3.68, 95% confidence interval [CI]: −5.92 to −1.44) and language-social area (B: −1.93; 95%CI: −3.73 to −0.12), while female offspring had a lower DQ for the language-social area (B: −1.95; 95%CI: −3.73 to −0.17). In those with K6 scores ≥5 only at M-T1 or M-T2, male and female offspring did not differ significantly in DQ for any area. Continuous maternal psychological distress from the first to the second half of pregnancy was associated with lower motor and verbal cognitive development in male offspring and lower verbal cognitive development in female offspring at 2 years compared with the group without persistent maternal prenatal psychological distress.

show abstract

“…28,29 Wright et al reported that an elevated maternal prenatal cortisol level was associated with lower callous-unemotional traits in girls, but not in boys, at 2.5-5.0 years of age. 30 As this study was based solely on K6 points based on the questionnaire and did not examine cortisol levels, future studies are needed to determine how the effects of K6 trajectories and cortisol levels on children differ by sex.…”

Section: Sex-specific Differencesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Maternal prenatal and postnatal psychological distress trajectories and impact on cognitive development in 4-year-old children: the Japan Environment and Children’s Study

Nishigori,

Suzuki

et al. 2023

J Dev Orig Health Dis

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Maternal prenatal and postnatal psychological distress, including depression and anxiety, may affect children’s cognitive development. However, the findings have been inconsistent. We aimed to use the dataset from the Japan Environment and Children’s Study, a nationwide prospective birth cohort study, to examine this association. We evaluated the relationship between the maternal six-item version of the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K6) scores and cognitive development among children aged 4 years. K6 was administered twice during pregnancy (M-T1; first half of pregnancy, M-T2; second half of pregnancy) and 1 year postpartum (C-1y). Cognitive development was assessed by trained testers, using the Kyoto Scale of Psychological Development 2001. Multiple regression analysis was performed with the group with a K6 score ≤ 4 for both M-T1 and M-T2 and C-1y as a reference. Records from 1,630 boys and 1,657 girls were analyzed. In the group with K6 scores ≥ 5 in both M-T1 and M-T2 and C-1Y groups, boys had significantly lower developmental quotients (DQ) in the language-social developmental (L-S) area (partial regression coefficient: −4.09, 95% confidence interval: −6.88 – −1.31), while girls did not differ significantly in DQ for the L-S area. Among boys and girls, those with K6 scores ≤ 4 at any one or two periods during M-T1, M-T2, or C-1y did not have significantly lower DQ for the L-S area. Persistent maternal psychological distress from the first half of pregnancy to 1 year postpartum had a disadvantageous association with verbal cognitive development in boys, but not in girls aged 4 years.

show abstract

Sex-dependent associations between maternal prenatal cortisol and child callous-unemotional traits: Findings from the Wirral Child Health and Development Study

Abstract: HighlightsPrenatal maternal cortisol predicts child behaviours up to age 5 years.The association shows marked sex differences.Higher cortisol is associated with lower callous-unemotional traits only in girls.Higher cortisol is not associated with child anxious-depressed symptoms.

Cited by 7 publications

References 82 publications

Prenatal stress and child externalizing behavior: effects of maternal perceived stress and cortisol are moderated by child sex

Prenatal stress and child externalizing behavior: effects of maternal perceived stress and cortisol are moderated by child sex

Maternal prenatal psychological distress and motor/cognitive development in two-year-old offspring: The Japan Environment and Children’s Study

Maternal prenatal and postnatal psychological distress trajectories and impact on cognitive development in 4-year-old children: the Japan Environment and Children’s Study

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About