The impact of maternal disgust sensitivity from pregnancy until 3 years postpartum on the early development of disgust sensitivity in the child.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

Disgust plays a key role in pathogen avoidance. In children, it starts to develop alongside cognition, emotion processing, and social skills around the third year. This study examined whether maternal disgust sensitivity predicts disgust sensitivity in 3-year-old children and whether this relationship is affected by parity and maternal psychological factors.

Methods

Data were collected from 163 women (60% primiparae) who repeatedly (in the first trimester of pregnancy and then 6 weeks, 1 year, and 3 years postpartum) completed questionnaires on disgust sensitivity, state anxiety, positive and negative affectivity, and perceived stress. At 3 years postpartum, mothers also completed the Child Disgust Scale.

Results

Path models showed that maternal disgust s

SUBMITTER: Kankova S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12695615 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature