Maternal exposure to a high-magnitude earthquake during pregnancy influences pre-reading skills in early childhood.

ABSTRACT: Exposure to an adverse prenatal environment can influence fetal development and result in long-lasting changes in the offspring. However, the association between maternal exposure to stressful events during pregnancy and the achievement of pre-reading skills in the offspring is unknown. Here we examined the association between prenatal exposure to the Chilean high-magnitude earthquake that occurred on February 27th, 2010 and the development of early reading precursors skills (listening comprehension, print knowledge, alphabet knowledge, vocabulary, and phonological awareness) in children at kindergarten age. This multilevel retrospective cohort study including 3280 children, of whom 2415 were unexposed and 865 were prenatally exposed to the earthquake shows substantial evidence that matern

SUBMITTER: Batiz LF 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8084950 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature