Intergenerational Effects of Maternal Childhood Experiences on Maternal Parenting and Infant Developmental Progress.
Jesse L Coe, Lindsay Huffhines, Courtney A Contente and 2 others
PMID 33064399WHAT IT FOUND
Mothers who felt their own mothers were supportive were more likely to scaffold their infants.
This scaffolding predicted better infant communication and problem-solving progress at 12 months. Adverse childhood experiences did not predict scaffolding, and maternal sensitivity did not predict developmental progress.
Key findings
01Mothers' perceptions of supportive parenting in their own childhood predicted greater scaffolding of their infants, whereas adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) did not.
02Maternal scaffolding at 6 months predicted greater infant developmental progress (less risk for delay) from 6 to 12 months, specifically in communication and problem-solving domains.
03Maternal sensitivity at 6 months was not associated with infant developmental progress from 6 to 12 months.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The sample consisted entirely of low-income mothers receiving public assistance, so findings may not generalize to families with higher socioeconomic status. The study used the ASQ-3, a screening tool that identifies risk for delay rather than measuring continuous developmental ability or advanced progress. Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and supportive parenting were highly correlated (r = -.53), making it difficult to fully disentangle their unique effects, although the statistical model attempted to control for this. The study only followed infants to 12 months, so it is unknown if these effects persist into toddlerhood or early childhood. Effect sizes for the predictive pathways were modest, indicating considerable variability in how these factors relate to outcomes.
Declared interests
The study was supported by NIH grants (R40MC28318). No other conflicts of interest were declared in the provided text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that ACEs have no impact on infant development. The study found ACEs did not predict *scaffolding* specifically, but ACEs may affect development through other mechanisms like maternal depression or stress, which were not tested here. Also, do not assume scaffolding helps motor skills; the link was specific to communication and problem-solving.