Prenatal and postnatal psychological symptoms of parents and family functioning: the impact on child emotional and behavioural problems

Although relations of various parental psychological problems and family functioning with child development are well documented, it remains unclear whether specific prenatal or specific postnatal risk factors are independently associated with child emotional and behavioural problems, or whether observed associations can be explained by general parental psychopathology. Using a stepwise approach, we examined the effects of prenatal and postnatal parental depressive symptoms, prenatal and postnatal hostility of the parents, as well as prenatal family functioning on the risk of child emotional and behavioural problems. This study was embedded in Generation R: a population-based cohort from foetal life onwards. Mothers and fathers of 2,698 children provided information about depressive symptoms, symptoms of hostility and family functioning during pregnancy and 3 years after birth. Mother and father each reported on child behaviour when the child was 3 years old. Parental depressive symptoms increased the risk of child emotional and behavioural problems, but this increase was explained by postnatal parental hostile behaviour. Postnatal symptoms of hostility of mothers (OR = 1.34, p value <0.001) and postnatal symptoms of hostility of fathers (OR = 1.30, p value <0.001) each contributed independently to the risk of child emotional and behavioural problems. Postnatal parental hostility is associated with an increased risk of child emotional and behavioural problems, independent of parental depressive symptoms. These findings suggest that prevention and intervention strategies should focus on psychological symptoms of both mothers and fathers, in particular on hostile behaviour, in families with young children

Associations of child <i>FTO</i> at rs9939609 with behavioural problems at 3 years (n = 1718).

<p>Abbreviations: ADHD, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder; ODD, oppositional defiant disorder; OR, odds ratio; 95%CI, 95% confidence interval; ref, reference.</p>a<p>The ORs represent the increased risk of high scores on CBCL DSM-oriented scales per <i>FTO</i> minor allele at rs9939609.</p

Sample characteristics by <i>FTO</i> rs9939609 genotype (n = 1718).

a<p>mean (standard deviation) unless otherwise indicated.</p>b<p>median (100% range).</p>c<p>with the chi-square statistic for categorical variables, one-way ANOVA for normally distributed continuous variables and the Kruskal-Wallis test for non-normally distributed.</p><p>continuous variables.</p>d<p>overweight or obesity is defined as a BMI-sds >1.10.</p

Associations of child <i>FTO</i> at rs9939609 with child executive function at 4 years.

<p>Abbreviations: OR, odds ratio; 95%CI, 95% confidence interval; ref, reference.</p>a<p>The ORs represent the increased risk of clinical scores on BRIEF-P Emotional Control and Inhibition per <i>FTO</i> minor allele at rs9939609.</p

Correlation between child BMI, child emotional and behavioural problems, executive function and eating behaviour.

<p>Spearman correlation coefficient (two tailed).</p>*<p><0.05, **<0.01 ***<0.001.</p

Associations of child <i>FTO</i> at rs9939609 with child eating behaviour at 4 years (n = 1718).

<p>Abbreviations: OR, odds ratio; 95%CI, 95% confidence interval; ref, reference.</p>a<p>The ORs represent the increased risk of high scores on CEBQ subscales per <i>FTO</i> minor allele at rs9939609.</p