Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-42gr6 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-24T16:56:56.129Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Impact of maternal age on infants' emotional regulation and psychomotor development

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 March 2021

Alba Moreno-Giménez ,
Laura Campos-Berga ,
Alicja Nowak ,
Rosa Sahuquillo-Leal ,
Ana D'Ocon ,
David Hervás ,
Pablo Navalón ,
Máximo Vento  and
Ana García-Blanco Open the ORCID record for Ana García-Blanco [Opens in a new window]
Alba Moreno-Giménez
Affiliation:
Department of Personality, Assessment and Psychological Treatment, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
Laura Campos-Berga
Affiliation:
University and Polytechnic Hospital La Fe, Valencia, Spain
Alicja Nowak
Affiliation:
Department of Health Psychology and Clinical Psychology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Poland
Rosa Sahuquillo-Leal
Affiliation:
Department of Personality, Assessment and Psychological Treatment, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
Ana D'Ocon
Affiliation:
Department of Personality, Assessment and Psychological Treatment, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
David Hervás
Affiliation:
Department of Personality, Assessment and Psychological Treatment, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain Health Research Institute La Fe, Valencia, Spain
Pablo Navalón
Affiliation:
University and Polytechnic Hospital La Fe, Valencia, Spain Health Research Institute La Fe, Valencia, Spain
Máximo Vento
Affiliation:
University and Polytechnic Hospital La Fe, Valencia, Spain Health Research Institute La Fe, Valencia, Spain
Ana García-Blanco*
Affiliation:
Department of Personality, Assessment and Psychological Treatment, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain University and Polytechnic Hospital La Fe, Valencia, Spain Health Research Institute La Fe, Valencia, Spain
*
Author for correspondence: Ana García-Blanco, E-mail: ana.garcia-blanco@uv.es
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Background

Maternal age has progressively increased in industrialized countries. Most studies focus on the consequences of delayed motherhood for women's physical and mental health, but little is known about potential effects on infants' neurodevelopment. This prospective study examines the association between maternal age and offspring neurodevelopment in terms of both psychomotor development (Ages & Stages Questionnaires-3) and emotional competences (Early Childhood Behavior Questionnaire).

Methods

We evaluated a cohort of healthy pregnant women aged 20–41 years and their offspring, assessed at 38 weeks gestation (n = 131) and 24 months after birth (n = 101). Potential age-related variables were considered (paternal age, education level, parity, social support, maternal cortisol levels, and maternal anxiety and depressive symptoms). Bayesian ordinal regression models were performed for each neurodevelopmental outcome.

Results

Maternal age was negatively associated with poor child development in terms of personal-social skills [odds ratio (OR) −0.13, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.77–0.99] and with difficult temperament in terms of worse emotional regulation (OR −0.13, 95% CI 0.78–0.96) and lower positive affect (OR 0.16, 95% CI 0.75–0.95). As for age-related variables, whereas maternal anxiety symptoms and cortisol levels were also correlated with poor child development and difficult temperament, maternal social support and parental educational level were associated with better psychomotor and emotional competences.

Conclusion

Increasing maternal age may be associated with child temperament difficulties and psychomotor delay in terms of social interaction skills. Early detection of neurodevelopment difficulties in these babies would allow preventive psychosocial interventions to avoid future neuropsychiatric disorders.

Keywords

Emotional regulationmaternal ageprenatal stresspsychomotor developmentsocial supporttemperament
Type
Original Article
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 52 , Issue 15 , November 2022 , pp. 3708 - 3719
Check for updates
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Aldao, A., Nolen-Hoeksema, S., & Schweizer, S. (2010). Emotion-regulation strategies across psychopathology: A meta-analytic review. Clinical Psychology Review, 30(2), 217–237.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Alvik, A. (2014). Variables predicting low infant developmental scores: Maternal age above 30 years is a main predictor. Scandinavian Journal of Public Health, 42(2), 113–119.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Austin, M. P., Hadzi-Pavlovic, D., Leader, L., Saint, K., & Parker, G. (2005). Maternal trait anxiety, depression and life event stress in pregnancy: Relationships with infant temperament. Early Human Development, 81(2), 183–190.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Beck, A. T., Rial, W. Y., & Rickels, K. (1974). Short form of depression inventory: Cross-validation. Psychological Reports, 34(3, Pt 2), 1184–1186.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Biro, M. A., Davey, M. A., Carolan, M., & Kealy, M. (2012). Advanced maternal age and obstetric morbidity for women giving birth in Victoria, Australia: A population-based study. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 52(3), 229–234.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bishop, D. V. (2002). The role of genes in the etiology of specific language impairment. Journal of Communication Disorders, 35(4), 311–328.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Brion, M. J. A., Leary, S. D., Lawlor, D. A., Smith, G. D., & Ness, A. R. (2008). Modifiable maternal exposures and offspring blood pressure: A review of epidemiological studies of maternal age, diet, and smoking. Pediatric Research, 63(6), 593.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cleary-Goldman, J., Malone, F. D., Vidaver, J., Ball, R. H., Nyberg, D. A., Comstock, C. H., …FASTER Consortium. (2005). Impact of maternal age on obstetric outcome. Obstetrics & Gynecology, 105(5), 983–990.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Davis, E. P., Glynn, L. M., Schetter, C. D., Hobel, C., Chicz-Demet, A., & Sandman, C. A. (2007). Prenatal exposure to maternal depression and cortisol influences infant temperament. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 46(6), 737–746.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Downey, D. B., & Condron, D. J. (2004). Playing well with others in kindergarten: The benefit of siblings at home. Journal of Marriage and Family, 66(2), 333–350.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ferrari, E., Cravello, L., Muzzoni, B., Casaroewtti, D., Paltro, M., Solerte, S. B., … Magri, F. (2001). Age-related changes of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis: Pathophysiological correlates. European Journal of Endocrinology, 144(4), 319–329.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fountoulakis, K. N., Gonda, X., Siamouli, M., Panagiotidis, P., Moutou, K., Nimatoudis, I., & Kasper, S. (2019). A case-control study of paternal and maternal age as risk factors in mood disorders. International Journal of Psychiatry in Clinical Practice, 23, 90–98.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fuligni, A. S., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2004). Measuring mother and father shared caregiving: An analysis using the panel study of income dynamics-child development supplement. In Day, R. D. & Lamb, M. E. (Eds.), Conceptualizing and measuring father involvement (pp. 341–357). Mahwah, New Jersey London: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers.Google Scholar
García-Blanco, A., Monferrer, A., Grimaldos, J., Hervás, D., Balanzá-Martínez, V., Diago, V., … Cháfer-Pericás, C. (2017). A preliminary study to assess the impact of maternal age on stress-related variables in healthy nulliparous women. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 78, 97–104.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
García-Blanco, A., Vento, M., Diago, V., & Cháfer-Pericás, C. (2016). Reference ranges for cortisol and α-amylase in mother and newborn saliva samples at different perinatal and postnatal periods. Journal of Chromatography B, 1022, 249–255.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Garon, N, Zwaigenbaum, L, Bryson, S, Smith, IM, Brian, J, Roncadin, C, … Roberts, W (2016). Temperament and its association with Autism Symptoms in a high-risk population. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology., 44(4), 757–769.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gillberg, C., Rasmussen, P., & Wahlström, J. (1982). Minor neurodevelopmental disorders in children born to older mothers. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology, 24(5), 437–447.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Glasson, E. J., Bower, C., Petterson, B., de Klerk, N., Chaney, G., & Hallmayer, J. F. (2004). Perinatal factors and the development of autism: A population study. Archives of General Psychiatry, 61, 618–627.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Han, W., Dong, X., Song, X., Cheng, L., Xie, L., Chen, H., & Jiang, L. (2018). Effects of advanced maternal age on cognitive and emotional development in offspring rats. Behavioural Brain Research, 353, 218–226.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hans, S. L., Auerbach, J. G., Auerbach, A. G., & Marcus, J. (2005). Development from birth to adolescence of children at-risk for schizophrenia. Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology, 15, 384–394.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Heffner, L. J. (2004). Advanced maternal age—how old is too old? New England Journal of Medicine, 351(19), 1927–1929.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Herman, J. P., McKlveen, J. M., Ghosal, S., Kopp, B., Wulsin, A., Makinson, R., … Myers, B. (2016). Regulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical stress response. Comprehensive Physiology, 6(2), 603–621.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Huizink, A. C., De Medina, P. G. R., Mulder, E. J., Visser, G. H., & Buitelaar, J. K. (2002). Psychological measures of prenatal stress as predictors of infant temperament. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 41(9), 1078–1085.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ibrahim, S. M., & Lobel, M. (2019). Conceptualization, measurement, and effects of pregnancy-specific stress: Review of research using the original and revised Prenatal Distress Questionnaire. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 43, 16–33.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Johnson, M. H., Gliga, T., Jones, E., & Charman, T. (2015). Annual research review: Infant development, autism, and ADHD - early pathways to emerging disorders. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines, 56, 228–247.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Joseph, K. S., Allen, A. C., Dodds, L., Turner, L. A., Scott, H., & Liston, R. (2005). The perinatal effects of delayed childbearing. Obstetrics & Gynecology, 105(6), 1410–1418.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kee, B. S., Jung, B. J., & Lee, S. H. (2000). A study on psychological strain in IVF patients. Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics, 17(8), 445–448.Google Scholar
Lan, K.-C., Chiang, H.-J., Huang, T.-L., Chiou, Y.-J., Hsu, T.-Y., Ou, Y.-C. …Yang, Y.-H. (2020). Association between paternal age and risk of schizophrenia: A nationwide population-based study. Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics, 38(1), 85–93.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Laplante, D. P., Brunet, A., & King, S. (2015). The effects of maternal stress and illness during pregnancy on infant temperament: Project Ice Storm. Pediatric Research, 79(1–1), 107.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Luke, B., & Brown, M. B. (2007). Elevated risks of pregnancy complications and adverse outcomes with increasing maternal age. Human Reproduction, 22(5), 1264–1272.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
McGrath, J. M., Records, K., & Rice, M. (2008). Maternal depression and infant temperament characteristics. Infant Behaviour and Development, 31(1), 71–80.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mc Mahon, C. A., Boivin, J., Gibson, F. L., Hammarberg, K., Wynter, K., & Fisher, J. R. (2015). Older maternal age and major depressive episodes in the first two years after birth: Findings from the Parental Age and Transition to Parenthood Australia (PATPA) study. Journal of Affective Disorders, 175, 454–462.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Montagna, A., & Nosarti, C. (2016). Socio-emotional development following very preterm birth: Pathways to psychopathology. Frontiers in Psychology, 7, 80.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Nigg, J. T. (2006). Temperament and developmental psychopathology. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 47(3–4), 395–422.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pan, B. A., Rowe, M. L., Spier, E., & Tamis-Lemonda, C. (2004). Measuring productive vocabulary of toddlers in low-income families: Concurrent and predictive validity of three sources of data. Journal of Child Language, 31(3), 587–608.Google ScholarPubMed
Prior, M., Bavin, E. L., Cini, E., Reilly, S., Bretherton, L., Wake, M., & Eadie, P. (2008). Influences on communicative development at 24 months of age: Child temperament, behaviour problems, and maternal factors. Infant Behavior and Development, 31(2), 270–279.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Prokasky, A., Rudasill, K., Molfese, V. J., Putnam, S., Gartstein, M., & Rothbart, M. (2017). Identifying child temperament types using cluster analysis in three samples. Journal of Research in Personality, 67, 190–201.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Putnam, S. P., Gartstein, M. A., & Rothbart, M. K. (2006). Measurement of fine-grained aspects of toddler temperament: The Early Childhood Behavior Questionnaire. Infant Behavior and Development, 29(3), 386–401.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Quevedo, L. A., Silva, R. A., Godoy, R., Jansen, K., Matos, M. B., Tavares Pinheiro, K. A., & Pinheiro, R. T. (2012). The impact of maternal post-partum depression on the language development of children at 12 months. Child: Care, Health and Development, 38(3), 420–424.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Richter, J., & Janson, H. (2007). A validation study of the Norwegian version of the Ages and Stages Questionnaires. Acta Paediatrica, 96(5), 748–752.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rothbart, M. K., & Derryberry, D. (1981). Development of individual difference in temperament. In Lamb, M. E., & Brown, A. L. (Eds.), Advances in developmental psychology (pp. 37–86). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.Google Scholar
Saha, S., Barnett, A. G., Foldi, C., Burne, T. H., Eyles, D. W., Buka, S. L., & McGrath, J. J. (2009). Advanced paternal age is associated with impaired neurocognitive outcomes during infancy and childhood. PLoS Medicine, 6(3), 0303–0311.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sartorius, G. A., & Nieschlag, E. (2009). Paternal age and reproduction. Human Reproduction Update, 16(1), 65–79.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sauer, M. V. (2015). Reproduction at an advanced maternal age and maternal health. Fertility and Sterility, 103(5), 1136–1143.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Savova, I. (2012). Europe 2020 Strategy–towards a smarter, greener and more inclusive EU economy. Eurostat, Statistics in Focus, 39, 2012.Google Scholar
Schardt, D. (2005). Delayed childbearing: Underestimated psychological implications. International Journal of Childbirth Education, 20(3), 34.Google Scholar
Sonego, M., Llácer, A., Galán, I., & Simón, F. (2013). The influence of parental education on child mental health in Spain. Quality of Life Research, 22(1), 203–211.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Spielberger, C. D., Gorsuch, R. L., Lushene, R., Vagg, P. R., & Jacobs, G. A. (1983). Manual for the state-trait anxiety inventory. Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press.Google Scholar
Spry, E., Moreno-Betancur, M., Becker, D., Romaniuk, H., Carlin, J. B., Molyneaux, E., … Macdonald, J. A. (2020). Maternal mental health and infant emotional reactivity: A 20-year two-cohort study of preconception and perinatal exposures. Psychological Medicine, 50(5), 827–837.Google ScholarPubMed
Squires, J., Bricker, D. D., & Twombly, E. (2009). Ages & stages questionnaires. Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes.Google Scholar
Stapleton, L. R. T., Schetter, C. D., Westling, E., Rini, C., Glynn, L. M., Hobel, C. J., & Sandman, C. A. (2012). Perceived partner support in pregnancy predicts lower maternal and infant distress. Journal of Family Psychology, 26(3), 453.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Stark, M. A. (1997). Psychosocial adjustment during pregnancy: The experience of mature gravidas. Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic & Neonatal Nursing, 26(2), 206–211.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Steenis, L. J., Verhoeven, M., Hessen, D. J., & Van Baar, A. L. (2015). Parental and professional assessment of early child development: The ASQ-3 and the Bayley-III-NL. Early Human Development, 91(3), 217–225.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sullivan, E. L., Holton, K. F., Nousen, E. K., Barling, A. N., Sullivan, C. A., Propper, C. B., & Nigg, J. T. (2015). Early identification of ADHD risk via infant temperament and emotion regulation: A pilot study. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, and Allied Disciplines, 56(9), 949–957.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Talge, N., Neal, C., & Glover, V. (2007). Antenatal maternal stress and long-term effects on child neurodevelopment: How and why? Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, and Allied Disciplines, 48, 245–261.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Tearne, J. E. (2015). Older maternal age and child behavioral and cognitive outcomes: A review of the literature. Fertility and Sterility, 103(6), 1381–1391.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Viau, P. A., Padula, C. A., & Eddy, B. (2002). An exploration of health concerns & health-promotion behaviors in pregnant women over age 35. MCN: The American Journal of Maternal/Child Nursing, 27(6), 328–334.Google ScholarPubMed
Vohr, B. R., Tyson, J. E., Wright, L. L., Perritt, R. L., Li, L., Poole, W. K., & NICHD Neonatal Research Network. (2009). Maternal age, multiple birth, and extremely low birth weight infants. The Journal of Pediatrics, 154(4), 498–503.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wainer, H., Gessaroli, M., & Verdi, M. (2006). Visual revelations: Finding what is not there through the unfortunate binning of results: The Mendel effect. Chance, 19(1), 49–52.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Westerlund, M., & Lagerberg, D. (2008). Expressive vocabulary in 18-month-old children in relation to demographic factors, mother and child characteristics, communication style and shared reading. Child: Care, Health and Development, 34(2), 257–266.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wu, Q., Feng, X., Gerhardt, M., & Wang, L. (2020). Maternal depressive symptoms, rumination, and child emotion regulation. European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 29(8), 1125–1134.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wu, S., Wu, F., Ding, Y., Hou, J., Bi, J., & Zhang, Z. (2017). Advanced parental age and autism risk in children: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 135, 29–41.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Zentner, M., & Bates, J. (2008). Child temperament: An integrative review of concepts, research programs and measures. European Journal of Developmental Science, 2(1/2), 7–37.Google Scholar
Zimet, G. D., Dahlem, N. W., Zimet, S. G., & Farley, G. K. (1988). The multidimensional scale of perceived social support. Journal of Personality Assessment, 52(1), 30–41.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zwaigenbaum, L., Bryson, S., Rogers, T., Roberts, W., Brian, J., & Szatmari, P. (2005). Behavioral manifestations of autism in the first year of life. International Journal of Developmental Neuroscience, 23(2–3), 143–152.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Supplementary material: File

Moreno-Giménez et al. supplementary material

Table S1

Download Moreno-Giménez et al. supplementary material(File)
File 17.1 KB