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Maternal prenatal and postnatal psychological distress trajectories and impact on cognitive development in 4-year-old children: the Japan Environment and Children’s Study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 February 2024

Hidekazu Nishigori Open the ORCID record for Hidekazu Nishigori [Opens in a new window] ,
Toshie Nishigori ,
Taeko Suzuki ,
Miyuki Mori ,
Mika Yamada ,
Hirotaka Isogami ,
Tsuyoshi Murata ,
Hyo Kyozuka ,
Yuka Ogata  and
Akiko Sato
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Hidekazu Nishigori*
Affiliation:
Department of Development and Environmental Medicine, Fukushima Medical Center for Children and Women, Fukushima Medical University Graduate School of Medicine, Fukushima, Japan Fukushima Regional Center for the Japan Environmental and Children’s Study, Fukushima, Japan
Toshie Nishigori
Affiliation:
Fukushima Regional Center for the Japan Environmental and Children’s Study, Fukushima, Japan Department of Pediatrics, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, Japan
Taeko Suzuki
Affiliation:
Department of Development and Environmental Medicine, Fukushima Medical Center for Children and Women, Fukushima Medical University Graduate School of Medicine, Fukushima, Japan Fukushima Regional Center for the Japan Environmental and Children’s Study, Fukushima, Japan Department of Midwifery and Maternal Nursing, Fukushima Medical University School of Nursing, Fukushima, Japan
Miyuki Mori
Affiliation:
Department of Development and Environmental Medicine, Fukushima Medical Center for Children and Women, Fukushima Medical University Graduate School of Medicine, Fukushima, Japan Fukushima Regional Center for the Japan Environmental and Children’s Study, Fukushima, Japan Department of Midwifery and Maternal Nursing, Fukushima Medical University School of Nursing, Fukushima, Japan
Mika Yamada
Affiliation:
Fukushima Regional Center for the Japan Environmental and Children’s Study, Fukushima, Japan Department of Pediatrics, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, Japan
Hirotaka Isogami
Affiliation:
Fukushima Regional Center for the Japan Environmental and Children’s Study, Fukushima, Japan Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, Japan
Tsuyoshi Murata
Affiliation:
Fukushima Regional Center for the Japan Environmental and Children’s Study, Fukushima, Japan Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, Japan
Hyo Kyozuka
Affiliation:
Fukushima Regional Center for the Japan Environmental and Children’s Study, Fukushima, Japan Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, Japan
Yuka Ogata
Affiliation:
Fukushima Regional Center for the Japan Environmental and Children’s Study, Fukushima, Japan
Akiko Sato
Affiliation:
Fukushima Regional Center for the Japan Environmental and Children’s Study, Fukushima, Japan
Hirohito Metoki
Affiliation:
Division of Public Health, Hygiene and Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, Tohoku Medical and Pharmaceutical University, Sendai, Japan
Kosei Shinoki
Affiliation:
Fukushima Regional Center for the Japan Environmental and Children’s Study, Fukushima, Japan
Seiji Yasumura
Affiliation:
Fukushima Regional Center for the Japan Environmental and Children’s Study, Fukushima, Japan Department of Public Health, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, Japan
Mitsuaki Hosoya
Affiliation:
Fukushima Regional Center for the Japan Environmental and Children’s Study, Fukushima, Japan Department of Pediatrics, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, Japan
Koichi Hashimoto
Affiliation:
Fukushima Regional Center for the Japan Environmental and Children’s Study, Fukushima, Japan Department of Pediatrics, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, Japan
Keiya Fujimori
Affiliation:
Fukushima Regional Center for the Japan Environmental and Children’s Study, Fukushima, Japan Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, Japan
*
Corresponding author: H. Nishigori; Email: nishigo@fmu.ac.jp
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Abstract

Maternal prenatal and postnatal psychological distress, including depression and anxiety, may affect children’s cognitive development. However, the findings have been inconsistent. We aimed to use the dataset from the Japan Environment and Children’s Study, a nationwide prospective birth cohort study, to examine this association. We evaluated the relationship between the maternal six-item version of the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K6) scores and cognitive development among children aged 4 years. K6 was administered twice during pregnancy (M-T1; first half of pregnancy, M-T2; second half of pregnancy) and 1 year postpartum (C-1y). Cognitive development was assessed by trained testers, using the Kyoto Scale of Psychological Development 2001. Multiple regression analysis was performed with the group with a K6 score ≤ 4 for both M-T1 and M-T2 and C-1y as a reference. Records from 1,630 boys and 1,657 girls were analyzed. In the group with K6 scores ≥ 5 in both M-T1 and M-T2 and C-1Y groups, boys had significantly lower developmental quotients (DQ) in the language-social developmental (L-S) area (partial regression coefficient: −4.09, 95% confidence interval: −6.88 – −1.31), while girls did not differ significantly in DQ for the L-S area. Among boys and girls, those with K6 scores ≤ 4 at any one or two periods during M-T1, M-T2, or C-1y did not have significantly lower DQ for the L-S area. Persistent maternal psychological distress from the first half of pregnancy to 1 year postpartum had a disadvantageous association with verbal cognitive development in boys, but not in girls aged 4 years.

Keywords

Maternal psychological distresspregnancypostpartumcognitive developmentJapan
Type
Original Article
Information
Journal of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease , Volume 14 , Issue 6 , December 2023 , pp. 781 - 794
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2024. Published by Cambridge University Press in association with The International Society for Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD)

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