Browsing by Author "Tulensalo, Liisa"

Aims: The etiology of mental disorders in childhood is still partially unknown. In the last decades researchers have started to study the role of prenatal factors, for example maternal prenatal anxiety symptoms, on child psychological symptoms. In most previous studies prenatal anxiety has been studied as a part of stress and together with depression, so studies concerning particularly its association on child psychological symptoms are still rare. In this study we examine if maternal prenatal anxiety in different trimesters is related to child internalizing, externalizing and total problems at the age of 1 to 5 and does the timing of the prenatal anxiety symptoms matter to child symptoms. We also study if maternal postnatal anxiety mediates the association between prenatal anxiety and child psychological symptoms, and if there are differences between genders within these associations. Methods: This study is a part of the multi-disciplinary Prediction and Prevention of Pre-eclampsia (PREDO) -study's psychological branch. The sample size of the current study was 1962. Maternal pre- and postnatal anxiety symptoms were assessed with the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) self-report questionnaire four times during pregnancy and when the child was 1 to 5 years old. Paternal anxiety symptoms were also collected with BAI six months after birth. Child's internalizing, externalizing and total problems at the age of 1 to 5 were assessed with The Child Behavior Checklist 1 1/2–5 - questionnaire rated by the mother. The associations were investigated using linear regression analysis, controlling for postnatal maternal and paternal anxiety symptoms, many sociodemographic factors and other factors associated with fetal development. Results and conclusions: Results indicated that higher maternal prenatal anxiety symptoms were associated with elevated internalizing, externalizing and total problems in the children. High anxiety symptoms especially during the last pregnancy trimester were essential considering child psychological symptoms. Moreover, although maternal postnatal anxiety symptoms partially mediated the association between maternal prenatal anxiety and child psychological symptoms, prenatal anxiety also had independent effects on psychological symptoms in the children. There were also differences between genders, since maternal prenatal anxiety during the first trimester appeared to be particularly important for boys' psychological symptoms. Results provide strong evidence that prenatal anxiety has a direct, independent effect on child's psychological symptoms and support the notion indicating that the fetal environmental factors have impact on child's development.