Maternal mindfulness and anxiety during pregnancy affect infants' neural responses to sounds.
Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience June 12, 2014 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsu075 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 79 |
| Population | Infants at 9 months of age and their mothers |
| Measures | Freiburg Mindfulness Inventory, Symptom Checklist (SCL-90), event-related brain potentials (ERPs) |
| Topics | Anxiety Meditation |
| Key findings | Higher maternal mindfulness during pregnancy was associated with lower infant N250 amplitudes for standard sounds, while higher maternal anxiety was associated with higher N250 amplitudes; mindfulness was also positively associated with P150 amplitudes. The authors suggest that infants prenatally exposed to greater maternal mindfulness allocate fewer attentional resources to frequently occurring irrelevant sounds. |
Abstract
Maternal anxiety during pregnancy has been consistently shown to negatively affect offspring neurodevelopmental outcomes. However, little is known about the impact of positive maternal traits/states during pregnancy on the offspring. The present study was aimed at investigating the effects of the mother's mindfulness and anxiety during pregnancy on the infant's neurocognitive functioning at 9 months of age. Mothers reported mindfulness using the Freiburg Mindfulness Inventory and anxiety using the Symptom Checklist (SCL-90) at ± 20.7 weeks of gestation. Event-related brain potentials (ERPs) were measured from 79 infants in an auditory oddball paradigm designed to measure auditory attention-a key aspect of early neurocognitive functioning. For the ERP responses elicited by standard sounds, higher maternal mindfulness was associated with lower N250 amplitudes (P < 0.01, η(2) = 0.097), whereas higher maternal anxiety was associated with higher N250 amplitudes (P < 0.05, η(2) = 0.057). Maternal mindfulness was also positively associated with the P150 amplitudes (P < 0.01, η(2) = 0.130). These results suggest that infants prenatally exposed to higher levels of maternal mindfulness devote fewer attentional resources to frequently occurring irrelevant sounds. The results show that positive traits and experiences of the mother during pregnancy may also affect the unborn child. Emphasizing the beneficial effects of a positive psychological state during pregnancy may promote healthy behavior in pregnant women.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on anxiety, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Effectiveness of a meditation-based stress reduction program in the treatment of anxiety disorders Patients with generalized anxiety disorder or panic disorder with or without agoraphobia | 1992 | Observational cohort | n = 22 |
| Antidepressant effects of a single dose of ayahuasca in patients with recurrent depression: a preliminary report Patients with a depressive disorder | 2015 | Observational study | |
| Patterning of Cognitive and Somatic Processes in the Self-Regulation of Anxiety: Effects of Meditation versus Exercise Regular practitioners of physical exercise or meditation | 1978 | Retrospective study | n = 77 |
| Dynamic coupling of whole-brain neuronal and neurotransmitter systems Healthy humans | 2020 | Observational study | |
| Psychedelics not linked to mental health problems or suicidal behavior: A population study Randomly selected United States adults | 2015 | Observational cohort | n = 135,095 |
Citations in the library
Cites 4
- The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2003
- Dispositional mindfulness and the attenuation of neural responses to emotional stimuli Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience January 17, 2012
- Randomised controlled pilot trial of mindfulness training for stress reduction during pregnancy. Psychology and Health November 1, 2013
- Effects of Mindfulness on Psychological Health: A Review of Empirical Studies Clinical Psychology Review May 13, 2011