Play skills development : impacts of prenatal and postpartum maternal stress

Abstract

Play skills development is a valid indicator of early cognitive competence and is highly correlated with subsequent language development. Development of play skills was affected by many factors. Previous studies have examined the association between prenatal maternal stress and children’s cognitive outcomes but mixed findings were found. The current study investigated the time-specific effect of prenatal maternal anxiety and postpartum maternal anxiety on children’s play skills in 49 mother-child dyads. Prenatal maternal anxiety was obtained at trimester two and trimester three of pregnancy, and postpartum maternal anxiety was collected at two years postpartum, using a validated questionnaire. Children’s play skills development at age two was evaluated using the Symbolic Play Test. Results showed that maternal anxiety at trimester two and two years postpartum did not demonstrate significant effect on children’s play skills. In contrast, maternal anxiety at trimester three was positively associated with children’s play skills even after controlling for postpartum anxiety level. Implications of such findings and suggestions for further research are discussed.