The role of prenatal stress and maternal trauma responses in predicting children's mental health during war.

ABSTRACT: Background: The negative effects of prenatal stress on children's development and the buffering effects of maternal behaviour are well documented. However, specific maternal responses to trauma, particularly among families experiencing cumulative stressors during pregnancy and early childhood, remain less understood.Objective: This study investigated the interplay between prenatal stress in the context of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and consequent maternal trauma responses and children's difficulties in the context of war-related trauma.Methods: We recruited 318 pregnant women in Israel during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic (Time 1). Prenatal depression, anxiety, and COVID-related stress symptoms were assessed. When children were approxima

SUBMITTER: Yirmiya K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11873953 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature