Birthweight is an important predictor of newborn health and has been linked to maternal psychological stress during pregnancy. However, it is unclear whether prenatal stress affects birthweight ...similarly for both male and female infants. We used a well-established pregnancy cohort to investigate the impact of high maternal psychological stress during pregnancy on birthweight as a function of infant sex. Overall, 5702 mother-newborn pairs were analysed. Of these, 198 mothers reported high levels of stress using the Psychological Stress Measure (nine-items version; PSM-9). Maternal psychological stress was assessed between the 24th and 28th week of gestation and analyses were performed jointly and independently as a function of neonatal sex (separate analyses for male and female infants). Newborns exposed to high maternal psychological stress during pregnancy (a score above 26 measured using the PSM-9 questionnaire, corresponding to >97.5th percentile) were compared to newborns of mothers who reported lower stress. ANCOVAs revealed that high levels of maternal stress during pregnancy were linked to infant birthweight as a function of infant sex. Male infants of mothers who reported high levels of stress had a greater birthweight whereas female infants had a lower birthweight under the same conditions, in comparison to mothers who did not report greater levels of stress. Although the effect size is small, these results underline the possibility that male and female fetuses may use different strategies when adapting to maternal adversity and highlight the need to consider infant sex as a moderator of the association between maternal psychological stress during pregnancy and infant birthweight.
The efficacy of a short-term attachment-based intervention for changing risk outcomes for children of maltreating families was examined using a randomized control trial. Sixty-seven primary ...caregivers reported for maltreatment and their children (1-5 years) were randomly assigned to an intervention or control group. The intervention group received 8 weekly home visits directed at the caregiver-child dyad and focused on improving caregiver sensitivity. Intervention sessions included brief discussions of attachment-emotion regulation-related themes and video feedback of parent-child interaction. Comparison of pre- and posttest scores revealed significant improvements for the intervention group in parental sensitivity and child attachment security, and a reduction in child disorganization. Older children in the intervention group also showed lower levels of internalizing and externalizing problems following intervention. This is the first study to demonstrate the efficacy of short-term attachment-based intervention in enhancing parental sensitivity, improving child security, and reducing disorganization for children in the early childhood period.
Objective: The study aimed to evaluate the impact of prenatal maternal stress on birth weight using a large cohort of predominantly White women living in an urban area. Method: Women were recruited ...between 2005 and 2010. Data collection took place between the 24th and the 28th week of gestation. The Measure of Psychological Stress (MSP-9), a validated tool to assess stress symptoms, was used to collect data on prenatal maternal stress (independent variable). Birth weight (dependent variable) was classified as low birth weight (<2,500 g), normal birth weight (2,500-4,000 g), and macrosomia (>4,000 g). Adjusted odds ratios (aOR) were obtained after performing multivariate logistic regressions adjusted for potential cofounders. At the final stage, 5,721 women were included in analysis. Results: When compared with women experiencing low stress, participants with high stress scores were at increased risk of delivering a newborn with low birth weight before adjustment (OR = 2.06, 95% CI 1.04, 4.09), but after adjustment, only a nonsignificant trend remained. However, women experiencing intermediate and high levels of stress were at increased risk of delivering a newborn with macrosomia, even after adjustment (aOR = 1.23, 1.02, 1.49) and (aOR = 1.76, 1.11, 2.77) compared to those who scored low on the psychological stress scale. Conclusion: Women exposed to high psychological stress during the second trimester (24th to 28th weeks) of pregnancy have a 1.8-fold increased risk for delivering a newborn with macrosomia when compared to women exposed to low psychological stress.
Whereas most biological parents have some form of contact with their children following foster placement, the outcomes of parental visitation for child adjustment remain unclear. We conducted a ...systematic review of the literature to document associations between parent-child contact and foster child's adjustment. Research databases for social services and psychology were systematically searched for relevant studies. Of 174 potential studies explored, 18 empirical studies were retained. Analysis revealed that parental contact is associated with attachment to the biological parent, but not with academic functioning or attachment to the foster parent. On the other hand, the results on associations between parental contact and behavioral adjustment are more contradictory, and they generally indicate an absence of association between those variables. These findings suggest that other factors are more salient for understanding the adjustment of foster children.
•Interest in studying the verbal (e.g., MM) and non-verbal (i.e., PEM) dimensions of parental mentalization simultaneously is relatively recent.•Both parental embodied mentalizing and mind-mindedness ...were associated with maternal sensitivity.•Parental embodied mentalizing contributed to infant attachment security via maternal sensitivity.•This study provides a deeper understanding of the mechanisms involved in infant attachment security by specifying the roles played by parental embodied mentalizing, mind-mindedness and maternal sensitivity.
Interest in studying the relative contributions of verbal (e.g., maternal mind-mindedness MM) and non-verbal dimensions (i.e., parental embodied mentalizing PEM) of parental mentalization to child socio-emotional development is relatively recent. To date, only one study has addressed this issue in relation to child attachment security, suggesting a complementary and unique contribution of each one. The purpose of the present study was to further examine the specific contribution of PEM to infant attachment security by considering MM. In addition, this study aimed to explore the mediating role of maternal sensitivity linking PEM, MM to infant attachment security within 110 mother-infant dyads at moderate psychosocial risk. The two dimensions of parental mentalization (PEM and MM) were assessed on the basis of observations made during a videorecorded sequence of mother-child interactions in a context of free play with and without toys when the infants were 8 months old. The Maternal Behavior Q-Sort was used to measure the mothers’ sensitivity in a natural setting based on observations of daily mother-child interactions, also when the infants were about 8 months old. Attachment security was measured using The Strange Situation Procedure at infant age 16 months. The results showed positive correlations between maternal sensitivity and both verbal and non-verbal measures of parental mentalization. The mediation analyses first revealed that PEM had a significant indirect effect on attachment security, with sensitivity being identified as a mediator in this association. No indirect effect linking MM and attachment security via sensitivity was observed. These results highlight the contribution of PEM to maternal sensitivity and show maternal sensitivity to be a factor that partly explains the influence of PEM on attachment security in children.
We investigated the association between antidepressant and anxiolytic exposure during the first and early second trimester of pregnancy (< 16 weeks), and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy ...(including preeclampsia and gestational hypertension) in women with singleton pregnancy.
This study is based on a large prospective cohort of 7866 pregnant women. We included pregnant women aged 18 years or older without chronic hepatic or renal disease at the time of recruitment. Participants lost to the follow-up, with multiple pregnancies and pregnancy terminations, miscarriages or fetal deaths before 20 weeks of gestation were excluded from the study, as well as women with no data on the antidepressant/anxiolytic medication use during pregnancy. Information concerning antidepressant or anxiolytic medication use was extracted from hospital records after delivery. The associations between their use and the risk of gestational hypertension or preeclampsia were calculated.
The final sample for analysis included 6761 participants including 218 (3.2%) women who were exposed to antidepressant and/or anxiolytic medication before the 16th week of gestation. Forty-one women had a non-medicated depression or anxiety during the pregnancy. Moreover, 195 (2.9%) and 122 (1.8%) women developed gestational hypertension and preeclampsia respectively. When compared to women unexposed to antidepressant/anxiolytic medication, depression and anxiety, those using antidepressant and/or anxiolytic drugs before the 16th week of gestation were at increased risk of preeclampsia (adjusted odd ratio (aOR) 3.09 CI
1.56-6.12), especially if they continued their medication after the 16th week (aOR 3.41 CI
1.66-7.02) compared to those who did not (1.60 CI
0.21-12.34).
Women exposed to antidepressant and/or anxiolytic medication before the 16th week of pregnancy have a 3-fold increased risk for preeclampsia when compared to women unexposed to antidepressant/anxiolytic medication, depression and anxiety. Also, our results suggested that women who stopped their medication before the 16th week of pregnancy could be benefit from reduced preeclampsia risk.
Cette série de méta-analyses examine l'association entre l'attachement tel que mesuré par l'entrevue d'attachement adulte et la symptomatologie anxieuse. Sur la base de 37 échantillons indépendants ...(N = 2,307), une association modérée et significative entre l'attachement insécurisant et les symptômes anxieux a été démontrée (d = 0,27, IC 0,08 ∼ 0,47). Une modération par la méthode utilisée pour mesurer l'anxiété a été observée, l'association étant plus importante pour les mesures cliniques que pour les mesures auto-rapportées. Les individus ayant un modèle insécurisant-préoccupé (d = 0,37, IC 0,13 ∼ 0,62) et non-résolu (d = 0,39, IC 0,09 ∼ 0,68) présentaient davantage d'anxiété que les individus sécurisant-autonomes. Le modèle insécurisant-évitant (d = 0,16, IC −0,05 ∼ 0,37) n'était pas associé à davantage de symptômes anxieux comparativement au modèle sécure-autonome. Cependant, l'association entre le modèle d'attachement évitant et l'anxiété était significative lorsque les symptômes d'anxiété étaient évalués par le biais d'entrevues cliniques. La discussion porte sur l'importance des catégories insécurisant-préoccupé et non-résolu pour le développement de la symptomatologie anxieuse, ainsi que sur l'influence de la méthode utilisée pour évaluer l'anxiété.
This series of meta-analysis examines the association between attachment, as measured by the Adult Attachment Interview, and anxious symptomatology. On the basis of 37 independent samples (N = 2,307), a moderate and significant association was demonstrated between insecure attachment and anxiety symptoms (d = 0.27, CI 0.08 ∼ 0.47). The method used to measure anxiety has a moderating effect, the association being more significant in clinical than self-reported measures. Individuals with an insecure-preoccupied attachment (d = 0.37, CI 0.13 ∼ 0.62) and an unresolved attachment (d = 0.39, CI 0.09 ∼ 0.68) had a higher level of anxiety than secure-autonomous individuals. The dismissive-avoidant style (d = 0.16, CI −0.05 ∼ 0.37) was not associated to higher levels of anxiety symptoms compared to the secure-autonomous model. However, the association between the dismissive-avoidant model and anxiety was significant when anxiety symptoms were evaluated during clinical interviews. The authors discuss the importance of the insecure-preoccupied and unresolved attachment in the development of anxious symptomatology, as well as the influence of the method used to assess anxiety.
Intérêt public
Cette série de méta-analyses porte sur les liens entre l'attachement des adultes envers leurs parents et leur niveau d'anxiété. Les résultats démontrent que l'insécurité est associée à davantage de symptômes d'anxiété, surtout lorsque les mesures d'anxiété étaient fondées sur des méthodes d'entrevues. De plus, il y avait une tendance pour que le lien entre l'attachement insécure-préoccupé et l'anxiété soit plus important lorsque le risque social et psychologique était plus élevé.
A year has passed since COVID-19 began disrupting systems. Although children are not considered a risk population for the virus, there is accumulating knowledge regarding children's escalating risk ...for maltreatment during the pandemic.
The current study is part of a larger initiative using an international platform to examine child maltreatment (CM) reports and child protective service (CPS) responses in various countries. The first data collection, which included a comparison between eight countries after the pandemic's first wave (March–June 2020), illustrated a worrisome picture regarding children's wellbeing. The current study presents the second wave of data across 12 regions via population data (Australia New South Wales, Brazil, United States California, Pennsylvania, Colombia, England, Germany, Israel, Japan, Canada Ontario, Quebec, South Africa).
Regional information was gathered, including demographics, economic situation, and CPS responses to COVID-19. A descriptive analysis was conducted to provide an overview of the phenomenon.
Across all of the countries, COVID-19 had a substantial negative impact on the operation of CPSs and the children and families they serve by disrupting in-person services. One year into the COVID-19 pandemic, new reports of CM varied across the regions.11The term regions is used rather than countries because in some countries child protection systems are governed by states or provinces rather than at the national level. In some, the impact of COVID-19 on CPS was low to moderate, while in others, more significant changes created multiple challenges for CPS services.
COVID-19 created a barrier for CPS to access and protect children. The dramatic variance between the regions demonstrated how social, economic and structural contexts impact both CM reports and CPS responses.
Externalizing behavior problems are a salient issue in the context of child protection services, where associations with placement stability and caregiving behavior have been documented. Moreover, ...although research on the association between contact with biological parents and foster child externalizing behavior problems is scarce and has yielded mixed results, several studies have shown links between the two variables. The purpose of this study is to determine the association of face-to-face contact with biological parents and externalized behaviors, while taking into account placement instability and foster parent interactive sensitivity. Fifty preschoolers and their foster parents were visited at home. Child externalizing behavior problems were self-reported by foster parents, foster parent sensitivity was measured via play observations, and information relative to placement was collected through interviews with biological parents and gathered from social services data. Results reveal that more frequent contact with biological parents and lower levels of foster parent sensitivity are independently linked to greater levels of externalizing behavior problems even after controlling for placement instability. Discussion focuses on the importance of children’s relationship experiences during foster care and the necessity to investigate their role to more clearly understand foster child socioemotional development.
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