. 2024 Dec;27(6):1033-1041.

doi: 10.1007/s00737-024-01473-x. Epub 2024 May 31.

Maternal perinatal social support and infant social-emotional problems and competencies: a longitudinal cross-cohort replication study

Melanie Schuijers¹, Christopher J Greenwood¹, Jennifer E McIntosh^{1

2

3

4}, George Youssef¹, Primrose Letcher^{1

3

4}, Jacqui A Macdonald^{1

3

4}, Elizabeth Spry^{1

3}, Genevieve Le Bas¹, Samantha Teague^{1

5}, Ebony Biden^{1

3}, Elizabeth Elliott^{6

7}, Steve Allsop⁸, Lucinda Burns⁹, Craig A Olsson^{1

3

4}, Delyse M Hutchinson^{10

11

12

13}

Affiliations

¹ Centre for Social and Early Emotional Development, Deakin University, Burwood, Australia.
² The Bouverie Centre, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Australia.
³ Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia.
⁴ Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
⁵ Department of Psychology, College of Healthcare Sciences, James Cook University, Queensland, Australia.
⁶ Discipline of Child and Adolescent Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
⁷ The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Sydney, Australia.
⁸ National Drug Research Institute, Curtin University, Perth, Australia.
⁹ National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
¹⁰ Centre for Social and Early Emotional Development, Deakin University, Burwood, Australia. delyse.hutchinson@deakin.edu.au.
¹¹ Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia. delyse.hutchinson@deakin.edu.au.
¹² Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia. delyse.hutchinson@deakin.edu.au.
¹³ National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University New South Wales, Sydney, Australia. delyse.hutchinson@deakin.edu.au.

PMID: 38819645
PMCID: PMC11579112
DOI: 10.1007/s00737-024-01473-x

Maternal perinatal social support and infant social-emotional problems and competencies: a longitudinal cross-cohort replication study

Melanie Schuijers et al. Arch Womens Ment Health. 2024 Dec.

. 2024 Dec;27(6):1033-1041.

doi: 10.1007/s00737-024-01473-x. Epub 2024 May 31.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Centre for Social and Early Emotional Development, Deakin University, Burwood, Australia.
² The Bouverie Centre, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Australia.
³ Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia.
⁴ Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
⁵ Department of Psychology, College of Healthcare Sciences, James Cook University, Queensland, Australia.
⁶ Discipline of Child and Adolescent Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
⁷ The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Sydney, Australia.
⁸ National Drug Research Institute, Curtin University, Perth, Australia.
⁹ National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
¹⁰ Centre for Social and Early Emotional Development, Deakin University, Burwood, Australia. delyse.hutchinson@deakin.edu.au.
¹¹ Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia. delyse.hutchinson@deakin.edu.au.
¹² Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia. delyse.hutchinson@deakin.edu.au.
¹³ National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University New South Wales, Sydney, Australia. delyse.hutchinson@deakin.edu.au.

PMID: 38819645
PMCID: PMC11579112
DOI: 10.1007/s00737-024-01473-x

Abstract

Purpose: Maternal perinatal social support is theorised to promote offspring social-emotional development, yet few studies have prospectively examined this relationship. Findings may inform preventative intervention efforts, to support a healthy start to emotional life.

Methods: This study examined whether maternal social support perinatally predicts infant social-emotional development at 12 months of age in two longitudinal cohort studies: The Australian Temperament Project (ATP) (n = 1,052 mother-infant dyads [653 mothers, M _{age_at_birth} = 32.03, 88% Australian-born; 1,052 infants, 52% girls]) and The Triple B Pregnancy Cohort Study (Triple B) (n = 1,537 dyads [1,498 mothers, M _{age_at_birth} = 32.53, 56% Australian-born; 1,537 infants, 49% girls]). Social support was assessed at pregnancy (third trimester) and eight-weeks post-birth. Infant social-emotional competencies (ATP: Brief Infant and Toddler Social and Emotional Assessment (BITSEA), Competencies Scale; Triple B: Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development-Social Emotional Scale) and problems (ATP: BITSEA, Problems Scale; Triple B: Ages and Stages Questionnaires: Social-Emotional Scale), were assessed at 12-months of age.

Results: In ATP, social support was associated with lower offspring problems (pregnancy: β = -0.15; post-birth: β = -0.12) and greater competencies (pregnancy: β = 0.12; post-birth: β = 0.16) at 12 months. In Triple B, social support also predicted lower offspring problems (pregnancy: β = -0.11; post-birth: β = -0.07) and greater competencies (pregnancy: β = 0.07) at 12 months. Findings did not indicate an association between support at eight-weeks post-birth and subsequent competencies (β = 0.06).

Conclusions: Evidence suggests that perinatal social support promotes healthy infant social and emotional development. These results underscore the critical importance of social support for mothers transitioning into parenthood.

Keywords: Pregnancy; infancy; longitudinal; postpartum; social-emotional development.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Conflict of interest: The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest. Ethical approval: This research was approved by Human Research Ethics Committees affiliated with Royal Prince Alfred Hospital (Sydney), Royal Women’s Hospital (Sydney), Liverpool Hospital (Sydney), King Edward Memorial Hospital (Perth), University of New South Wales (Sydney), Curtin University (Perth), Deakin University (Melbourne), University of Sydney (Sydney), University of Queensland (Queensland), University of Melbourne (Melbourne), and Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (Melbourne). Written parental consent was obtained for the collection and reporting of parent and child data, and only deidentified group-level findings are reported.

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Maternal perinatal social support and infant social-emotional problems and competencies: a longitudinal cross-cohort replication study

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Maternal perinatal social support and infant social-emotional problems and competencies: a longitudinal cross-cohort replication study

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