Grant: Project Grant

One in four women experience psychological distress (depression, anxiety) in pregnancy. Children whose mothers experience prenatal distress are more likely to have behaviour problems. The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically increased these rates, and is therefore a good chance to investigate how prenatal distress leads to brain and behaviour changes in children. In this study, we will look at relationships between prenatal distress, children's brain growth over time, and children's behaviour in early childhood. Children will be recruited from the Pregnancy during the COVID-19 Pandemic study, which has recruited over 10,000 pregnant individuals in Canada, and is currently following them and their babies. The current project aims to (1) determine how prenatal distress is associated with brain structure at age 2 years; (2) determine how prenatal distress is associated with brain growth from 2-4 years; and (3) determine whether brain structure and brain growth mediate associations between maternal distress and child behaviour. We will use prenatal distress information (depression, anxiety symptoms) that was already collected from individuals during pregnancy. In the proposed study, we will use magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to measure brain structure and function, as well as behaviour, in 260 young children at age 2, 3, and 4 years. We will also measure household chaos to represent postnatal environment, and all analyses will consider child sex. This project will provide a more detailed understanding of how prenatal maternal distress impacts children's brain growth and behaviour. Ultimately, this will help determine when and for whom interventions may be most effective to mitigate the consequences of prenatal distress exposure, and support optimal development in young children.