Washington, DC, USA – August 2024: A new study shows that histories of childhood trauma carry intergenerational impacts affecting the health of mothers and their children in the United States.
The research demonstrates that a history of adverse childhood experiences puts mothers and their babies at a greater risk of acute and long-term health issues, including infections and cancer. The study also shows that a partner’s involvement during pregnancy can offset those risks and positively impact the health of mothers and babies.
Interviews and survey responses from 1,879 new mothers living in Monroe County, New York, between 2015 and 2017 informed the research study titled “Maternal History of Adverse Childhood Experiences and Subsequent Infant Paternal Involvement.”
The study was published by researchers from the University of Rochester and the University of Pittsburgh in the United States led by Amina P. Alio, PhD, and published in the open-access scholarly journal International Journal of Transnational Research and Public Health (https://ijtmrph.org/). Their newly published report is among the few studies examining the link between maternal trauma in childhood and paternal engagement.
According to the researchers, childhood trauma, referred to as adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) in the study, are traumatic events occurring before age 18, which can come in the form of different types of abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction. In the United States, about 61 percent of adults reported experiencing at least one childhood trauma.
“Exposure to ACEs correlates with various health risks, including depression, alcoholism, stroke, diabetes, and asthma,” warn the study’s authors.
The results of the research show that women are more affected by ACEs in comparison to men. Expectant mothers experiencing ACEs face increased risks of adverse birth outcomes, such as low birth weight and preterm birth, which can negatively impact the health of infants.
However, the study also shows that a father’s support during pregnancy can positively impact maternal behavior and child outcomes, such as improved prenatal care and decreased infant mortality.
The researchers used prenatal data and maternal history collected from the Monroe County Mothers and Babies Health Survey (MBHS). MBHS is a research initiative focused on assessing the health and well-being of expectant mothers and infants in Monroe County, New York. The 200-question survey was offered in English and Spanish.
Researchers mainly drew their data from interviews and reports by mothers across different income levels. Mothers’ reports included demographic information and health behavior during pregnancy, along with their baby’s father’s information. The researchers also drew from interviews and reports from partners/spouses and other reports to collect their data.
The father’s involvement was measured through co-parenting and their relationship with the mother, financial and emotional investment, quality of time spent, and expressed willingness to rear children.
Looking at a partner’s legal acknowledgment of paternity was one way that researchers tracked paternal involvement in the study. According to the study, acknowledging paternity at birth “lowered infant mortality, preterm birth, and low birth weight risk, particularly for unmarried women with higher ACEs.”
For example, study data showed that when partners acknowledged paternity, exclusive breastfeeding duration increased. Breastfeeding plays an important role in the health of infants and new moms. Increased breastfeeding duration for infants can decrease the risk of infections and adulthood obesity. Increased breastfeeding duration can also decrease maternal risk of breast and ovarian cancer, type 2 diabetes, and high blood pressure.
The study found that mothers with ACEs related to household dysfunction during childhood were at a greater risk of rearing their child without the help of a partner who accepts paternal responsibility.
According to the study, a mother’s ACEs can biologically alter her stress responses, possibly due to long-term changes in the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis functioning. The study’s authors point out that this can lead to a heightened sensitivity to stress and negative cues (for example, negative facial expressions like frowns and negative body language like arms folded over the chest).
“Together, these biological and psychosocial effects of ACEs intricately weave into the fabric of maternal behavior,” the study’s authors say.
From a biopsychological view, a mother’s ACEs experiences could influence how her HPA axis functions. When HPA is altered, this can lead to increased stress sensitivity and maladaptive responses to stress. These physiological changes can in turn affect maternal behaviors and relationship dynamics. These effects can manifest as decreased partner involvement in caregiving and supportive roles.
The study emphasizes that ACEs can have transgenerational effects and directly impact the mother’s immediate offspring. “This creates a cycle involving ACEs,” involving lack of paternal support, possible household dysfunction, and a repetition of ACE’s “perpetuating across generations” if there is no intervention,” they warn.
The study’s authors say that targeted support mechanisms could help increase paternal engagement to help offset the long-term affects of maternal ACEs.
“Actionable interventions could include initiating ACE screenings during pregnancy, delivering specialized psychological support to at-risk mothers, enhancing relationship counseling during the perinatal period, and forming networks for linkage to community resources,” the study’s authors urge.