The expectant social mind: A systematic review of face processing during pregnancy and the effect of depression and anxiety

Abstract

Pregnancy carries enormous changes in the psychological and neurophysiological domains. It has been suggested that pregnant women undergo a cognitive reorganization aimed at increasing the salience of social stimuli (i.e., the tendency of social cues to capture observer's attention, so that their processing results prioritized). The goal of the present work was to systematically review the empirical evidence of a change in face processing during pregnancy. Moreover, we explored whether face processing is associated with antenatal depression and anxiety and the extent to which this is part of a potential mechanism to explain detrimental effects of maternal psychopathology on infant outcomes. We identified 19 relevant studies and discussed them based on their methodological qualities. The results of the review suggest that even though it is not possible to draw firm conclusions, pregnancy is likely to be a plasticity window for face processing at the behavioral and neural levels. Evidence confirms the detrimental effect of depression and anxiety on face processing during pregnancy. Clinical implications for parenting interventions are discussed.

Relationship between parenthood and cortical thickness in late adulthood

“…Further, prospective longitudinal studies are needed to draw conclusions about the longevity of these effects; whether our observed relationships are evident across the life-span and reflect effects that have stabilised following the early postpartum period, or whether these effects are specific to late-life parenthood (caring for adult children and potentially grandchildren). Future studies to investigate neurobiological changes across parenting of multiple children in humans are required, as there are currently no such studies in humans at any life-stage [48,56]. Our findings are the first to show a relationship between number of children and grey matter thickness in the ageing human brain.…”

“…Child-rearing provides parents of both sexes with rich sensory stimulation and increased environmental complexity, with new parents required to engage in novel tasks and challenges [ 48 ]. This is consistent with the conceptualisation of caregiving as a dynamic, learning experience in humans, and as a period of plasticity [ 48 , 49 ]. As such, parenthood is a continuum of experience, and may represent a learning environment that is sustained for two or more decades of an individual’s life [ 49 ].…”

“…Indeed, it is known from preclinical models that the mere presence of offspring is sufficient to produce neural changes associated with parenting, even in the absence of pregnancy-related hormones [47]. Child-rearing provides parents of both sexes with rich sensory stimulation and increased environmental complexity, with new parents required to engage in novel tasks and challenges [48]. This is consistent with the conceptualisation of caregiving as a dynamic, learning experience in humans, and as a period of plasticity [48,49].…”

Emotional Stress During Pregnancy – Associations With Maternal Anxiety Disorders, Infant Cortisol Reactivity, and Mother–Child Interaction at Pre-school Age

“…Regarding maternal stress and its influences on infant and child development, it would be of major importance to disentangle different time-effects as well as different kinds of stressors, such as psychological stress, anxiety, or depressive symptoms and life events (trauma, loss, or natural disasters). Furthermore, potential moderators should be addressed, such as early life experiences, stress coping strategies, social support or maternal face processing, since current studies show the detrimental effect of anxiety (De Carli et al, 2019). With regard to possible long-term consequences for infant and child development early intervention and prevention programs are of vital importance.…”

Italia Ti Ascolto [Italy, I am listening]: an app-based group psychological intervention during the COVID-19 pandemic

“…The use of digital tools in preadolescent and adolescent populations has recently been tested, leading to significant improvements in their mental health (Gladstone et al, 2020;Saulsberry et al, 2013;Wahlund et al, 2020), even in the context of single-session interventions (Schleider et al, 2020). Fourth, we tailored a room for pregnant women: pregnancy is a complex experience where a need to restructure physical self-image emerges, whilst dealing with physiological and hormonal level changes, and the need to mentalize new fantasies and fears about the unborn child (De Carli et al, 2019). Recent studies highlighted how new technologies are useful for reducing depressive, anxious, and stressful states in this specific population (Felder, Epel, Neuhaus, Krystal, & Prather, 2020;Shahsavan, Akbari, Gharraee, Abolghasemi, & Khedmat, 2020).…”