This study recruited a prospective cohort of 380 pregnant women before, during, or after Superstorm Sandy in 2012 to examine the association between disaster-related pre- and post-natal maternal stress and offspring temperament at 6 months-old. Mothers prospectively reported stressful experiences during the storm and rated their child's temperament 6months postpartum. Results indicated that length of time without phone or electricity and financial loss was associated with offspring negative affect, whereas financial loss and threat of death or injury was associated with emotion dysregulation. Furthermore, offspring born before the storm had greater negative affect and lower emotion regulation than those born after the storm. Given the probable increase in the occurrence of natural disasters due to climate change in recent years (McCarthy, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Climate change 2001: impacts, adaptation, and vulnerability: contribution of Working Group II to the third assessment report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2001), our results highlight the necessity of education and planning to help ameliorate any potential consequences on the developing infant.
1.CUNY, Queens Coll, Psychol, 65-30 Kissena Blvd, Flushing, NY 11367 USA 2.CUNY, Grad Ctr, Psychol, New York, NY 10016 USA 3.Icahn Sch Med Mt Sinai, Psychiat, New York, NY 10029 USA 4.Mt Sinai Beth Israel, Ctr Child Trauma & Resilience, New York, NY USA 5.Bryn Mawr Coll, Class, Bryn Mawr, PA 19010 USA 6.CUNY, Hunter Coll, Sch Publ Hlth, New York, NY 10021 USA 7.Imperial Coll London, London, England
Recommended Citation:
Buthmann, Jessica,Ham, Jacob,Davey, Katherine,et al. Infant Temperament: Repercussions of Superstorm Sandy-Related Maternal Stress[J]. CHILD PSYCHIATRY & HUMAN DEVELOPMENT,2019-01-01,50(1):150-162