Hui Li

Maternal depression symptoms are diverse and vary in onset, duration, and severity, and it may affect the infant differently. This study aimed to (1) determine the different trajectories of maternal depression symptoms from late pregnancy to one year postpartum, and (2) examine the relationship between maternal depression trajectories and infant development within the first year of life. In this longitudinal study (N = 218), maternal depression levels were measured using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, and latent class growth analysis were used to identify distinct trajectories. Infant behavioral development was evaluated using the Neonatal Behavioral Observation System and the Griffiths Development Scale-Chinese. Generalized estimating equation was used to assess the relationship between maternal depression trajectory and infant behavioral development. We characterized maternal depression trajectories and classified them into three groups: no-, decreased- and increased- depression trajectories. Infants' personal-social scores of the decreased-MD (B = -0.219, 95% CI: -0.360, -0.078) and increased-MD (B = -0.451, 95% CI: -0.640, -0.262) groups were lower than that of the no-MD group at five and twelve months. The increased-MD trajectory group had lower social ability than the decreased-MD group (B= -0.233, 95% CI: -0.424, -0.041). The difference remained significant after adjusting for confounding factors. Our findings show that the severity and trend of maternal depression trajectory are the key factors affecting infants' social behavior development.

This study developed a localized Infant Behavior Observation (IBO) scale for Chinese infants aged 0–1 year and evaluated its reliability and validity for early identification of atypical behavioral development. Following standardized scale development procedures, 1,280 infants from five provinces in China were recruited. Items were generated through interviews and refined using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. The final scale includes 36 items across five dimensions: social behavior, feelings, sense of control, autonomy, and negative emotion management, explaining 67.48% of the total variance. Confirmatory factor analysis showed acceptable model fit, with high internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = 0.89) and good test–retest reliability (r = 0.83). Scores were categorized into four developmental levels based on percentile thresholds. The overall detection rate of behavioral abnormalities was 11.53%, increasing with age. Early abnormalities were mainly associated with negative emotion regulation, while social behavior became more prominent after 4 months. These results support the IBO scale as a reliable and valid tool for infant behavioral assessment in China.

Prenatal stress (PS) causes anxiety in mothers and their offspring and chewing is a commonly observed behavior during maternal stress. Prolactin (PRL) is an anti‐anxiety factor that suppresses the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis. Here, we studied the roles of PRL, corticosterone (CORT), and their receptors in PS‐induced anxiety‐like behavior in dams and their offspring. We further investigated whether chewing during maternal stress could prevent PS‐induced harmful consequences. Pregnant rats were randomly divided into PS, PS + chewing, and control groups. Anxiety‐like behaviors of dams and their adolescent offspring were assessed using the open field test and elevated plus maze. Serum levels of PRL and CORT were measured by ELISA. Expression of mRNA and protein of PRLR and glucocorticoid receptor (GR) in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) were evaluated by qRT‐PCR and western blotting, respectively. Compared to the control rats, dams and their female offspring, but not male offspring, in the PS group showed increased anxiety‐like behaviors. The PS‐affected rats had a lower serum PRL level and increased PRLR expression in the PFC. In contrast, these rats had a higher serum CORT level and decreased GR expression in the PFC. Chewing ameliorated anxiety‐like behaviors and counteracted stress‐induced changes in serum PRL and CORT, as well as the expression of their receptors in the PFC. Conclusion: PS‐induced anxiety‐like behavior is associated with changes in the serum levels of PRL and CORT and expression of their receptors in the PFC. Moreover, chewing blunts the hormonal and receptor changes and may serve as an effective stress‐coping method for preventing PS‐induced anxiety‐like behavior.