Poster #242 - Prenatal Anxiety Predicts Infant Reactivity and Behavioral Inhibition: the Mediating Role of Mother-Infant Bonding

• In Event: 2-163 - Poster Session 08
  In Poster Session: PS 08 Section - Social, Emotional, Personality

Integrative Statement

Background: It is known that prenatal maternal stress and anxiety are related to negative infant outcomes. Prenatal anxiety has been associated with fearful infant temperament, also known as behavioral inhibition, and it’s precursor, negative infant reactivity (Korja, Nolvi, Grant, & McMahon, 2017). Infant temperament refers to the affect, activity and regulation an infant exhibits in response to an arousing novel stimulus. Behavioral inhibition has been associated with emotional and behavioral issues later in life, including anxiety-related disorders and internalizing problems (Shamir-Essakow, Ungerer, & Rapee, 2004; Williams et al., 2009). Studies also suggest that behavioral inhibition may be influenced by maternal factors such as behavior and personality (Fox & Degnan, 2007). Nonetheless, limited studies have investigated the relational mechanisms through which prenatal anxiety may affect infant temperamental outcome.
Aims: This study aims to prospectively assess the predictive relations between prenatal anxiety, postnatal infant reactivity and behavioral inhibition over of the first year of life. Moreover, we examine the role of early postnatal mother-infant bonding in mediating these relations.
Method: Prenatal anxiety was assessed during the third trimester of pregnancy through self-report questionnaires and participants completed questionnaires regarding maternal-infant bonding at four months of age. Infant reactivity was assessed at four months of age via both observations and maternal report. Finally, behavioral inhibition was assessed at ten months of age via both observation and maternal report.
Results: Prenatal anxiety was significantly associated with mother-infant bonding at four months of age, such that higher anxiety predicted lower levels of bonding (r(92) = -.482, p<.001). Mother infant bonding was significantly associated with concurrent infant negative reactivity such that lower bonding was associated with high negative reactivity (r(131) = -.326, p<.001). Finally, infant reactivity measured at four months was significantly positively associated with infant BI measured at ten months such that higher reactivity predicted higher levels of BI (r(101) = .331, p<.01). A double mediation model was tested, yielding a significant indirect effect of prenatal anxiety on behavioral inhibition at ten months through maternal-infant bonding and infant reactivity at four months (B = .05, SE =. 06, 95% CI = .0002, .2866).
Discussion: Results suggest a relational mechanism through which prenatal anxiety affects infant temperament. Findings point toward a risk pathway from prenatal anxiety to postpartum infant behavioral inhibition and underscore the importance of early postpartum interventions to moderate risk. Moreover, results specifically underscore the importance of targeting mother-infant bonding in such early postpartum interventions.

Authors

• Danielle Katz, Ziama Arkin Infancy Institute, Interdisciplinary Center (IDC) Herzliya
  Presenting Author

• Sofie Rousseau, Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya, Ziama Arkin Infancy Institute
  Non-Presenting Author

• Avital Cohen, Ziama Arkin Infancy Institute, Interdisciplinary Center (IDC) Herzliya
  Non-Presenting Author

• Tahl Frenkel, Ziama Arkin Infancy Institute
  Non-Presenting Author