From Infancy to Motherhood: The Impact of Childhood Adversity in the Perinatal Period.

This panel will present the results of a research project aimed at investigating the impact of childhood adversity on the perinatal period and infant development. To this end, various results related to the construction of maternal identity, mental health during pregnancy, the impact of certain protective events, and infant development at 6 months of age will be presented.

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) have traditionally been associated with a wide range of negative mental health consequences, both short- and long-term. This negative impact of ACEs can be especially significant during pregnancy. At this stage of life, women are exposed to increased mental health symptoms, and the proximity of motherhood can trigger personal memories of parenting and concerns about adapting to this demanding and unfamiliar role. To date, most studies on ACE have been conducted in English-speaking countries, and very few have focused specifically on the Spanish population.

Using various quantitative and qualitative measures collected from a sample of 306 Spanish pregnant women and 30 infants, we will present results demonstrating that experiencing adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) is a significant predictor of psychological problems and difficulties (i.e., current depressive symptoms, attendance at psychological therapy, and poor adjustment to pregnancy).
Furthermore, having experienced adverse childhood experiences has a highly significant impact on the process of maternal identity construction, generating different narratives than those of women who have not. We will also examine the positive impact that experiencing positive events has on women who have suffered adverse childhood experiences and the mediating effect of resilience on adjustment to pregnancy. Finally, we will see how the data suggest that infants whose mothers have received psychological therapy show, on average, almost 6 points higher overall development than those whose mothers have not. These findings highlight the potential importance of psychosocial support in early parenting, beyond the maternal history of adversity. In conclusion, knowledge about the impact of ACEs in the perinatal period, their early detection, and interventions to mitigate their effects can improve the well-being of the pregnant woman and, subsequently, the well-being of the newborn and the development of the infant.