A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal
Maternal prenatal mood problems and lower maternal emotional availability associated with lower quality of child's emotional availability and higher negative affect during still-face procedure
Authors: Korja Riikka, McMahon Catherine
Publisher: Wiley & International Society on Infant Studies
Publication year: 2021
Journal: Infancy
Journal name in source: INFANCY
Journal acronym: INFANCY
Volume: 26
Issue: 6
First page : 901
Last page: 919
Number of pages: 19
ISSN: 1525-0008
eISSN: 1532-7078
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/infa.12428
Web address : https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/infa.12428
Self-archived copy’s web address: https://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/66929766
Our aim was to study the effects of maternal perinatal mood and maternal emotional availability on child emotional availability and negative affect during the still-face procedure (SFP). The sample included 214 women who participated in a prospective study. We assessed maternal mood problems using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview and PRAQ questionnaire during pregnancy and using STAI and EPDS questionnaires during pregnancy and at 6 months after delivery. Maternal and child emotional availability were studied using the Emotional Availability Scales during the SFP at 6 months. We observed and quantified child's negative affect during SFP episodes. We found that mothers with maternal mood problems (anxiety and/or depression) during pregnancy, but not postnatally, showed less optimal maternal structuring during the SFP, and the children showed lower involvement and responsiveness during interactions with their mothers. Furthermore, lower maternal emotional availability was related to the child's higher negative affect during the SFP. Our findings underline the independent roles of both prenatal stress exposure and maternal caregiving behavior in a child's socioemotional development.
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