Advancing the Study of Maternal Prenatal Stress Phenotypes and Infant Temperament Outcomes

Abstract

Exposure to the in utero environment provides offspring risk or protection with respect to postpartum development and health across the lifespan. We used latent profile analysis (LPA), considering self-report and physiological indicators to assess the influence of maternal prenatal stress/distress on infant temperament. We predicted that participants who reported greater prenatal stress/distress would have infants with less optimal temperament characteristics (e.g., higher fearfulness, lower smiling/laughter). Women (N = 67) were recruited in the Southwest Washington and Eastern Washington/North Idaho areas. Participants responded to surveys during the third trimester and provided hair samples for cortisol analyses. Postpartum mothers reported on infant temperament. LPA resolved two statistically supported profiles, reflecting lower and higher maternal stress/distress during pregnancy, which we compared with respect to infant temperament (e.g., fearfulness, smiling/laughter). The greater stress/distress exposure group demonstrated higher cortisol concentrations, depression, general anxiety, and perceived stress. Mothers with greater prenatal stress/distress profiles reported their children exhibiting more challenging temperaments (e.g., higher negative emotionality). This pattern of results suggests that groups discernable in terms of prenatal stress/distress exposure also differ with respect to infant reactivity and regulation.