Perinatal hardship and infant neurodevelopment: insights from a global pandemic / Jonathan POSNER in Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 67-5 (May 2026)  

Public ISBD [article]  inJournal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry > 67-5 (May 2026) . - p.755-765 Titre : Perinatal hardship and infant neurodevelopment: insights from a global pandemic Type de document : texte imprimé Auteurs : Jonathan POSNER, Auteur ; Andrew MICHAEL, Auteur ; Pratik KASHYAP, Auteur ; Meredith FAY, Auteur ; Ana Carolina Coelho MILANI, Auteur ; Ivaldo SILVA, Auteur ; Nitamar ABDALA, Auteur ; Célia Maria DE ARAÚJO, Auteur ; Aline Camargo RAMOS, Auteur ; Yun WANG, Auteur ; Mateus MAZZAFERRO, Auteur ; Andrea JACKOWSKI, Auteur ; Cristiane S. DUARTE, Auteur Article en page(s) : p.755-765 Langues : Anglais (eng) Mots-clés : Neurodevelopment  perinatal hardship  hippocampus  COVID-19  infant MRI  socioeconomic adversity Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : Background Material and emotional hardship during pregnancy can shape early brain development and behavior in infants. This study used the COVID-19 pandemic as a natural context in which such hardships were widespread, particularly in low-resource settings. Methods This cohort study examined associations between pandemic-related maternal emotional distress and material hardship during pregnancy and early neurodevelopmental outcomes in infants. A total of 235 mother?infant dyads from low-resource healthcare settings in Brazil were enrolled during the COVID-19 pandemic. Maternal hardships were assessed using a COVID-19-specific questionnaire, which included self-reported COVID-19 exposure/infection. Infant neurodevelopment was evaluated via MRI at 2?6?weeks of age and behavioral assessments at 14?months using the Bayley Scales of Infant Development. Results Material hardship was associated with reduced hippocampal volumes in the left (pfdr?=?.008) and right (pfdr?=?.025) hemispheres. Among female infants, material hardship was linked to lower functional connectivity between the right hippocampus and the right rostral anterior cingulate cortex (p?=?.004). Smaller hippocampal volumes correlated with weaker gross motor skills at 14?months (r?=?.23; p?=?.02). Maternal emotional distress and self-reported COVID-19 exposure/infection were not significantly associated with infant neurodevelopmental outcomes. Conclusions Material hardship may adversely affect early neurodevelopment, particularly hippocampal structure and connectivity, with potential downstream effects on motor skills. These findings underscore the importance of addressing material hardship during the perinatal period to support infant brain health and development. En ligne : https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.70060 Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=586 [article] Perinatal hardship and infant neurodevelopment: insights from a global pandemic [texte imprimé] / Jonathan POSNER, Auteur ; Andrew MICHAEL, Auteur ; Pratik KASHYAP, Auteur ; Meredith FAY, Auteur ; Ana Carolina Coelho MILANI, Auteur ; Ivaldo SILVA, Auteur ; Nitamar ABDALA, Auteur ; Célia Maria DE ARAÚJO, Auteur ; Aline Camargo RAMOS, Auteur ; Yun WANG, Auteur ; Mateus MAZZAFERRO, Auteur ; Andrea JACKOWSKI, Auteur ; Cristiane S. DUARTE, Auteur . - p.755-765. Langues : Anglais (eng) in Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry > 67-5 (May 2026) . - p.755-765 Mots-clés : Neurodevelopment  perinatal hardship  hippocampus  COVID-19  infant MRI  socioeconomic adversity Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : Background Material and emotional hardship during pregnancy can shape early brain development and behavior in infants. This study used the COVID-19 pandemic as a natural context in which such hardships were widespread, particularly in low-resource settings. Methods This cohort study examined associations between pandemic-related maternal emotional distress and material hardship during pregnancy and early neurodevelopmental outcomes in infants. A total of 235 mother?infant dyads from low-resource healthcare settings in Brazil were enrolled during the COVID-19 pandemic. Maternal hardships were assessed using a COVID-19-specific questionnaire, which included self-reported COVID-19 exposure/infection. Infant neurodevelopment was evaluated via MRI at 2?6?weeks of age and behavioral assessments at 14?months using the Bayley Scales of Infant Development. Results Material hardship was associated with reduced hippocampal volumes in the left (pfdr?=?.008) and right (pfdr?=?.025) hemispheres. Among female infants, material hardship was linked to lower functional connectivity between the right hippocampus and the right rostral anterior cingulate cortex (p?=?.004). Smaller hippocampal volumes correlated with weaker gross motor skills at 14?months (r?=?.23; p?=?.02). Maternal emotional distress and self-reported COVID-19 exposure/infection were not significantly associated with infant neurodevelopmental outcomes. Conclusions Material hardship may adversely affect early neurodevelopment, particularly hippocampal structure and connectivity, with potential downstream effects on motor skills. These findings underscore the importance of addressing material hardship during the perinatal period to support infant brain health and development. En ligne : https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.70060 Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=586

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