Is prenatal maternal mental problem associated with offspring's language skills at two years old?

Abstract

The current study examined the impact of prenatal maternal anxiety on toddlers’ language development at two years old. Maternal anxiety status of 48, 36 and 32 pregnant women was evaluated using a validated questionnaire during pregnancy at the first, second and third trimesters respectively. Mothers were grouped into anxious and non-anxious groups according to the clinical cut-off. Two year postpartum anxiety level of all the mothers was obtained as a covariate. Children’s language abilities were assessed using the Cantonese version of the MacArthur Communicative Development Inventory (CCDI). Results showed that there was no significant difference between the language scores reported in the prenatally “anxious” and “non-anxious” groups in all three trimesters after controlling for the 2-year postpartum anxiety level. The results implied that effect of prenatal maternal stress is not associated with children’s language functioning. Language acquisition is a complex process influenced by multiple factors. This study highlighted some methodological considerations when conducting similar kind of study.