The Pandemial babies: effects of maternal stress on temperament of babies gestated and born during the pandemic

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic may configure an adverse prenatal context for early development. The aim of this study was to analyze the effects of pandemic-related negative experiences, prenatal anxiety and depression on the temperament of six-month-old babies. The sample consisted of 105 mother–child dyads. A longitudinal evaluation was carried out using pre- and postnatal online surveys. Mothers completed the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, the Beck Depression Inventory – II, the Pandemic Impact Questionnaire and the Infant Behavior Questionnaire Revised. Serial mediation models were tested, in which the pandemic-related negative experiences constituted the independent variable, the prenatal anxiety and depression were the mediators, and the children’s temperament dimensions were the dependent variables. Pandemic-related negative experiences were indirectly associated with the offspring’s negative affect and surgency through anxious symptomatology, which acted as a mediating variable. This was the first study to identify the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on temperament. Such an adverse context implies risks for child development. Public health policies aiming to evaluate socioemotional variables during early childhood become necessary to allow on-time interventions for lessening these risks.

COVID‐19 pandemic effects: Examining prenatal internalizing symptoms and infant temperament

“…Only a few known studies have examined mechanisms linking prenatal pandemic-related stress with infant temperament (López- Morales et al, 2022;Sacchi et al, 2023). In contrast to the present findings, López- Morales et al (2022) found prenatal pandemic stress indirectly predicted infant negative affect and surgency at 6 months through prenatal anxiety rather than depression symptoms during pregnancy.…”

“…Only a few known studies have examined mechanisms linking prenatal pandemic-related stress with infant temperament (López- Morales et al, 2022;Sacchi et al, 2023). In contrast to the present findings, López- Morales et al (2022) found prenatal pandemic stress indirectly predicted infant negative affect and surgency at 6 months through prenatal anxiety rather than depression symptoms during pregnancy. Of note, these researchers utilized a COVID-19 measure that identified whether women were exposed to a series of stressful events during the pandemic, whereas the current study evaluated perceived stress related to perinatal infection and preparing for their baby's arrival.…”

“…Only a few known studies have examined mechanisms linking prenatal pandemic‐related stress with infant temperament (López‐Morales et al., 2022; Sacchi et al., 2023). In contrast to the present findings, López‐Morales et al.…”

“…In support of this mechanism, López‐Morales et al. (2022) found exposure to stressful events during the pandemic indirectly predicted infant negative affect at 6 months through associations with prenatal anxiety. It is also important to consider maternal postpartum symptoms in this pathway, given prenatal depression and anxiety often persist following birth, which can impact infant temperament through mechanisms such as parent‐child interactions (Heron et al., 2004; Kiviruusu et al., 2020; McGrath et al., 2008).…”

Prenatal exposure to environmental air pollution and psychosocial stress jointly contribute to the epigenetic regulation of the serotonin transporter gene in newborns

“…Evidence from pregnant cohorts around the world suggests that women experienced elevated symptoms of stress, anxiety and depression during the COVID-19 pandemic [5][6][7][8]. Furthermore, early reports indicate that antenatal exposure to maternal pandemic-related stress (PRS) is associated with early infants' developmental outcomes, including temperament [9][10][11][12], socio-emotional development [13], motor outcomes [14] and even brain connectivity patterns [15].…”