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

ABSTRACT

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.