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Maternal anxiety, depression and sleep disorders before and during pregnancy, and preschool ADHD symptoms in the NINFEA birth cohort study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 April 2018

L. Vizzini Open the ORCID record for L. Vizzini [Opens in a new window] ,
M. Popovic ,
D. Zugna ,
B. Vitiello ,
M. Trevisan ,
C. Pizzi ,
F. Rusconi ,
L. Gagliardi ,
F. Merletti  and
L. Richiardi
L. Vizzini*
Affiliation:
Cancer Epidemiology Unit, Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin and CPO-Piemonte, Turin, Italy
M. Popovic
Affiliation:
Cancer Epidemiology Unit, Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin and CPO-Piemonte, Turin, Italy
D. Zugna
Affiliation:
Cancer Epidemiology Unit, Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin and CPO-Piemonte, Turin, Italy
B. Vitiello
Affiliation:
Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
M. Trevisan
Affiliation:
Cancer Epidemiology Unit, Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin and CPO-Piemonte, Turin, Italy
C. Pizzi
Affiliation:
Cancer Epidemiology Unit, Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin and CPO-Piemonte, Turin, Italy
F. Rusconi
Affiliation:
Epidemiology Unit, Anna Meyer Children's University Hospital, Florence, Italy
L. Gagliardi
Affiliation:
Woman and Child Health Department, Pediatric and Neonatology Division, Ospedale della Versilia, Viareggio, Italy
F. Merletti
Affiliation:
Cancer Epidemiology Unit, Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin and CPO-Piemonte, Turin, Italy
L. Richiardi
Affiliation:
Cancer Epidemiology Unit, Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin and CPO-Piemonte, Turin, Italy
*
*Address for correspondence: L. Vizzini, Cancer Epidemiology Unit, Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin and CPO-Piemonte, Turin, Italy. (Email: [email protected])
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Abstract

Aims.

Maternal mental disorders have been associated with the risk of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children. Within the context of a mother–child cohort, we examined whether maternal anxiety, depression and sleep disorders are associated with pre-school ADHD symptoms.

Methods.

The study included 3634 singletons from the Italian NINFEA (Nascita e INFanzia: gli Effetti dell'Ambiente’) cohort. Maternal doctor-diagnosed anxiety, depression and sleep disorders before and during pregnancy were assessed from the questionnaires completed during pregnancy and 6 months after delivery. Mothers rated child ADHD symptoms at 4 years of age, according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Hyperactive–impulsive (ADHD-H), inattentive (ADHD-I) and total ADHD scores were analysed in the models adjusted for child's gender, first-born status, maternal age, education, alcohol consumption and smoking during pregnancy.

Results.

The total ADHD score at age 4 was associated with maternal lifetime anxiety (17.1% percentage difference in score compared with never; 95% CI 7.3–27.9%), sleep disorders (35.7%; 95% CI 10.7–66.5%) and depression (17.5%; 95% CI 3.2–33.8%). Similar positive associations were observed also for ADHD-H and ADHD-I traits, with slightly attenuated associations between maternal sleep disorders and child ADHD-I score, and maternal depression and both ADHD scores. All the estimates were enhanced when the disorders were active during pregnancy and attenuated for disorders active only during the pre-pregnancy period.

Conclusions.

Maternal anxiety, depression and sleep disorders are associated with a relative increase in the number of ADHD-H, ADHD-I and total ADHD symptoms in preschoolers.

Keywords

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disordermental healthprospective studyrisk factors
Type
Original Articles
Information
Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences , Volume 28 , Issue 5 , October 2019 , pp. 521 - 531
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2018 

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