Maternal perinatal social support and infant social-emotional problems and competencies: a longitudinal cross-cohort replication study.

PURPOSE: Maternal perinatal social support is theorised to promote offspring social-emotional development, yet few studies have prospectively examined this relationship. Findings may inform preventative intervention efforts, to support a healthy start to emotional life. METHODS: This study examined whether maternal social support perinatally predicts infant social-emotional development at 12 months of age in two longitudinal cohort studies: The Australian Temperament Project (ATP) (n = 1,052 mother-infant dyads [653 mothers, M age_at_birth = 32.03, 88% Australian-born; 1,052 infants, 52% girls]) and The Triple B Pregnancy Cohort Study (Triple B) (n = 1,537 dyads [1,498 mothers, M age_at_birth = 32.53, 56% Australian-born; 1,537 infants, 49% girls]). Social support was assessed at pregnancy (third trimester) and eight-weeks post-birth. Infant social-emotional competencies (ATP: Brief Infant and Toddler Social and Emotional Assessment (BITSEA), Competencies Scale; Triple B: Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development-Social Emotional Scale) and problems (ATP: BITSEA, Problems Scale; Triple B: Ages and Stages Questionnaires: Social-Emotional Scale), were assessed at 12-months of age. RESULTS: In ATP, social support was associated with lower offspring problems (pregnancy: ß = -0.15; post-birth: ß = -0.12) and greater competencies (pregnancy: ß = 0.12; post-birth: ß = 0.16) at 12 months. In Triple B, social support also predicted lower offspring problems (pregnancy: ß = -0.11; post-birth: ß = -0.07) and greater competencies (pregnancy: ß = 0.07) at 12 months. Findings did not indicate an association between support at eight-weeks post-birth and subsequent competencies (ß = 0.06). CONCLUSIONS: Evidence suggests that perinatal social support promotes healthy infant social and emotional development. These results underscore the critical importance of social support for mothers transitioning into parenthood.

Association of maternal and paternal perinatal depression and anxiety with infant development: A longitudinal study.

BACKGROUND: Maternal and paternal perinatal depression and anxiety are theorised to adversely impact infant development. Yet, few studies have assessed both mental health symptoms and clinical diagnoses within the one study. Moreover, research on fathers is limited. This study therefore aimed to examine the association between symptoms and diagnoses of maternal and paternal perinatal depression and anxiety with infant development. METHOD: Data were from the Triple B Pregnancy Cohort Study. Participants included 1539 mothers and 793 partners. Depressive and anxiety symptoms were assessed using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale and Depression Anxiety Stress Scales. Major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and agoraphobia were assessed using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview in trimester three. Infant development was assessed at 12-months using the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development. RESULTS: Antepartum, maternal depressive and anxiety symptoms were associated with poorer infant social-emotional (d = -0.11, p = .025) and language development (d = -0.16, p = .001). At 8-weeks postpartum, maternal anxiety symptoms were associated with poorer overall development (d = -0.11, p = .030). No association was observed for clinical diagnoses in mothers, nor paternal depressive and anxiety symptoms or clinical diagnoses; albeit risk estimates were largely in the expected direction of adverse effects on infant development. CONCLUSIONS: Evidence suggests that maternal perinatal depression and anxiety symptoms may adversely impact infant development. Effects were small but findings underscore the importance of prevention, early screening and intervention, alongside consideration of other risk factors during early critical periods.

Association of adolescent and young adult depression and anxiety with perinatal mental health in fathers: Findings from an Australian longitudinal study.

The current study examined associations between preconception diagnoses of major depressive disorder (MDD) and anxiety disorders in adolescence and young adulthood and perinatal depression and anxiety symptoms in early fatherhood. In an Australian community cohort study of health and development, earlier history of MDD and anxiety disorders (extending back to adolescence) were assessed retrospectively in the third trimester of pregnancy via the Composite International Diagnostic Interview. Paternal perinatal depression and anxiety were then assessed prospectively over three timepoints (third trimester of pregnancy, 8 weeks and 12 months postpartum), using established cut-points on the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (anxiety subscale). Mixed-effects regression models examined risk associations between preconception diagnoses of MDD and anxiety disorders, and perinatal depression and anxiety symptoms at each timepoint, adjusting for socio-demographic factors and concurrent maternal mental health difficulties. The odds of clinically concerning levels of paternal perinatal depression and anxiety were 6-fold and 4-fold higher, respectively, in men with a preconception history of MDD. The odds of perinatal depression were 3-fold higher in men with a preconception history of an anxiety disorder. Less evidence was found for an association between preconception diagnoses of an anxiety disorder and perinatal anxiety in fathers. Interventions aimed at improving mental health in men during adolescence and young adulthood may promote continued psychological health in men during early fatherhood.

The Role of Antenatal and Postnatal Maternal Bonding in Infant Development.

OBJECTIVE: The affectional bond experienced by a mother toward her developing fetus/infant has been theorized to be a critical factor in determining infant developmental outcomes; yet there remains a paucity of research in this area, and a lack of high-quality longitudinal studies. This study aimed to examine the extent to which mother-to-infant bonding predicted infant development in a multi-wave longitudinal pregnancy cohort study (N = 1,347). METHOD: Self-reported bonding was assessed using the Maternal Antenatal Attachment Scale at each trimester, and the Maternal Postnatal Attachment Scale at 8 weeks and 12 months postpartum. Infant development was assessed using the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, Third Edition (Bayley-III) at 12 months. RESULTS: Bonding predicted indicators of infant social-affective development, including social-emotional, behavioral, and temperamental outcomes. Effect sizes ranged from small to moderate, increasing over the perinatal period (ß = 0.11-0.27). Very small effects were also identified in the relationship between bonding and cognitive, language, and motor development (ß = 0.06-0.08). CONCLUSION: Findings suggest that a mother's perceived emotional connection with her child plays a role in predicting social-affective outcomes; prediction may not extend to other domains of infant development. Maternal bonding may therefore be a potentially modifiable predictor of infant social-affective outcomes, offering important considerations for preventive intervention.

Maternal bonding, negative affect, and infant social-emotional development: A prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Theoretical perspectives and empirical evidence suggest that maternal bonding and negative affect play a role in supporting infant social-emotional development (Branjerdporn et al., 2017; Kingston et al., 2012; O'Donnell et al., 2014; Van den Bergh et al., 2017). However, the complex pathways likely to exist between these constructs remain unclear, with limited research examining the temporal and potentially bi-directional associations between maternal bonding and negative affect across pregnancy and infancy. METHODS: The interrelationships between maternal bonding, negative affect, and infant social-emotional development were examined using multi-wave perinatal data from an Australian cohort study (N = 1,579). Self-reported bonding and negative affect were assessed at each trimester, and 8 weeks and 12 months postpartum. The Bayley-III social-emotional scale was administered at age 12 months. RESULTS: Results revealed strong continuities in bonding and negative affect across pregnancy and postpartum. Small associations (ß = -.10 to -.20) existed between maternal negative affect during pregnancy and poor early bonding. Higher postnatal maternal bonding predicted infant social-emotional development (ß = .17). LIMITATIONS: Limitations include a somewhat advantaged and predominantly Anglo-Saxon sample of families, and the use of self-report measures (though with strong psychometric properties). These limitations should be considered when interpreting the study findings. CONCLUSIONS: Maternal bonding and negative affect are interrelated yet unique constructs, with suggested developmental interplay between mother-to-infant bonding and infant social-affective development.

A highly hydrated α-cyclodextrin/1-undecanol inclusion complex: crystal structure and hydrogen-bond network from high-resolution neutron diffraction at 20 K.

The monoclinic C2 crystal structure of an α-cyclodextrin/1-undecanol host-guest inclusion complex was solved using single-crystal neutron diffraction. Large high-quality crystals were specially produced by optimizing temperature-controlled growth conditions. The hydrate crystallizes in a channel-type structure formed by head-to-head dimer units of α-cyclodextrin molecules stacked like coins in a roll. The alkyl chain of the guest lipid is entirely embedded inside the tubular cavity delimited by the α-cyclodextrin dimer and adopts an all-trans planar zigzag conformation, while the alcohol polar head group is outside close to the α-cyclodextrin primary hydroxyl groups. The cyclodextrin dimer forms columns, which adopt a quasi-square arrangement much less compact than the quasi-hexagonal close packing already observed in the less hydrated α-cyclodextrin channel-type structures usually found with similar linear guests. The lack of compactness of this crystal form is related to the high number of interstitial water molecules. The replacement of 1-undecanol by 1-decanol does not modify the overall crystal structure of the hydrate as shown by additional X-ray diffraction investigations comparing the two host-guest assemblies. This is the first study that analyses the entire hydrogen-bonding network involved in the formation of a cyclodextrin dimer surrounded by its shell of water molecules.