The Impact of Maternal Mental Health on Infant Temperament in the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Aims: To determine associations between maternal pregnancy and parenting related anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent infant temperament development at 3 to 6 months old, as well as to determine significant contextual mediators.

Study design: 380 mother-infant dyads from across the United Kingdom reported on their pregnancy and parenting related anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic. At 3 to 6 months postnatally, they also reported on aspects of their infant’s temperament, ranging from surgency (responsiveness and positive emotions), negative affect (negative emotions), and effortful control (ability to regulate emotions). Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) was used to examine the expected association between prenatal maternal mental health and infant temperament traits, controlling for contemporaneous maternal mental health. Maternal and infant characteristics were examined as potential mediating factors.

Results: Pregnancy and parenting related anxiety were associated with less favourable infant surgency and negative affect, when controlling for contextual variables. Effortful control, however, was not related to maternal mental health over the course of the pandemic. Gestational age, general maternal anxiety levels, and maternal education were all correlated with surgency, either directly and/or mediated by parenting related anxiety scores.

Conclusion: The findings of this study underline the importance of paying attention to the mental health of expectant and new mothers during the COVID-19 situation and potential future pandemics, as it may be related to their infants’ temperament development in their first months of life.