Maternal anxiety is related to infant neurological condition, paternal anxiety is not

Abstract 

Background

Parental anxiety and stress may have consequences for infant neurological development.

Aims

To study relationships between parental anxiety or well-being and infant neurological development approximately one year after birth.

Study design

Longitudinal study of a birth cohort of infants born to subfertile couples. Subjects: 206 parent–child dyads.

Outcome measures

Infant neurology was assessed with the Touwen Infant Neurological Examination (TINE) at 10months and a developmental questionnaire at 12months. Parental measures included trait anxiety measured by the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and well-being measured by the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ).

Results

Maternal trait anxiety was associated with a less optimal neurological condition (r_s=−0.19, p<0.01) of the infant. This association persisted after adjusting for confounders and results were confirmed by the outcome of the developmental questionnaire. Paternal trait anxiety and parental well-being were not related to the infant's neurodevelopmental outcome.

Conclusions

Infants of mothers with high trait anxiety have an increased vulnerability to develop a non-optimal nervous system. The association may be mediated in part by early programming of monoaminergic systems. Future research should include an exploration of specific windows of vulnerability to maternal anxiety.

Keywords: Well-being, Anxiety, Neurological development, Infancy