@article{ref1,
title="Maternal childhood abuse and neglect predicts offspring development in early childhood: the roles of reflective functioning and child sex",
journal="Child abuse and neglect",
year="2021",
author="Garon-Bissonnette, Julia and Duguay, Gabrielle and Lemieux, Roxanne and Dubois-Comtois, Karine and Berthelot, Nicolas",
volume="ePub",
number="ePub",
pages="ePub-ePub",
abstract="BACKGROUND: Recent evidence suggests that offspring of mothers having been exposed to childhood abuse and neglect (CA&N) are at increased risk of developmental problems and that boys are more affected by maternal CA&N than girls. Since impairments in reflective functioning (RF) have been associated with maternal CA&N and offspring development, RF could represent a key mechanism in these intergenerational risk trajectories. <br><br>OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated mediating (RF) and moderating (child sex) mechanisms in the association between maternal CA&N and child development. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: In a longitudinal setting, 111 mothers completed measures during pregnancy and between 11 and 36 months postpartum. <br><br>METHODS: CA&N and impairments in RF were assessed during pregnancy and offspring development was measured during the longitudinal follow-up using the Ages and Stages Questionnaires (ASQ-3). Child development was operationalized in two ways: using the global score at the ASQ-3 and using a dichotomous score of accumulation of delays across domains of development. <br><br>RESULTS: Structural equation modeling indicated that RF mediated the association between maternal CA&N and offspring development. Child sex moderated the association between CA&N and the clustering of developmental problems (Wald = 5.88, p = 0.02), with boys being particularly likely to accumulate developmental delays when their mother experienced CA&N (RR = 2.62). Accumulation of developmental problems was associated with impairments in maternal RF in girls and with maternal exposure to CA&N in boys. <br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Results provide novel insights on the role of mentalization and child sex in the association between maternal CA&N and child development.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0145-2134",
doi="10.1016/j.chiabu.2021.105030",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2021.105030"
}