Maternal witness to intimate partner violence during childhood and prenatal family functioning alter newborn cortisol reactivity.

Maternal witness to intimate partner violence during childhood and prenatal family functioning alter newborn cortisol reactivity.
Stress. 2019 Jan 24;:1-10
Authors: Parade SH, Newland RP, Bublitz MH, Stroud LR
Abstract
Witnessing intimate partner violence (IPV) during childhood is a risk factor for mental health problems across the lifespan. Less is known about the intergenerational consequences of witnessing IPV, and if the current family climate buffers intergenerational effects of witnessing violence. The mother's experience of witnessing IPV against her own mother during childhood, prenatal family dysfunction, and prenatal perceived stress were examined as predictors of offspring cortisol in the first month of life (N = 218 mother-infant dyads). Mothers reported on witnessing IPV in their childhoods, prenatal family dysfunction, and prenatal perceived stress in pregnancy. At 2 days and again at 1 month postpartum, infants engaged in a neurobehavioral exam to assess infant cortisol reactivity. Infants whose mothers witnessed IPV in childhood exhibited alterations in their baseline cortisol and their cortisol reactivity at 1 month of age, whereas family dysfunction during pregnancy was associated with baseline cortisol and cortisol reactivity at 2 days of age. Prenatal perceived stress was not associated with infant cortisol at 2 days or 1 month. Prenatal family dysfunction and perceived stress did not moderate effect...

Source: Stress - January 25, 2019 Category: Research Tags: Stress Source Type: research