ArticleJournal of affective disorders2023
The relationship between maternal psychopathology and offspring incontinence and constipation at school age: A prospective cohort study.
Article in Journal of affective disorders, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 6 citations in OpenAlex.
- Relationship between psychological stress with functional constipation in children: a systematic review.The Pan African medical journal · 2023Pooled it
- Examining causal pathways between family adversity and soiling: a prospective cohort study.BMJ paediatrics open · 2025Article
- Gastrointestinal morbidity in children whose mothers have anorexia nervosa: A longitudinal cohort study.Psychological medicine · 2025Article
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Authors and funding
3 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundThere is evidence for an association between maternal psychopathology and offspring incontinence and constipation, but it is unclear if there is a critical/sensitive period of exposure to maternal depression and/or anxiety in the antenatal or postnatal period.
methodsMothers from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children provided data on their depression and anxiety (antenatal and postnatal) and their child's urinary and faecal incontinence and constipation at age 7 (6489 participants). We used multivariable logistic regression to examine evidence for independent effects of maternal depression/anxiety on offspring incontinence/constipation and to investigate if there was a critical/sensitive period of exposure. We examined evidence for causal intra-uterine effects using a negative control design.
resultsPostnatal maternal psychopathology was associated with an increased risk of offspring incontinence and constipation (e.g. postnatal anxiety and daytime wetting OR: 1.53; 95 % CI: 1.21-1.94). Data were consistent with a postnatal critical period model and there was evidence for an independent effect of maternal anxiety. Antenatal maternal psychopathology was associated with offspring constipation (e.g. antenatal anxiety OR: 1.57; 95 % CI: 1.25-1.98), but there was no evidence for a causal intra-uterine effect. LIMITATIONS: Attrition and maternal reports without use of diagnostic criteria for incontinence/constipation are potential limitations.
conclusionsChildren exposed to maternal postnatal psychopathology had a greater risk of incontinence/constipation, and maternal anxiety had stronger associations than depression. Health professionals should be vigilant to effects of maternal psychopathology on child development. Identification of mechanisms linking maternal psychopathology to child incontinence/constipation is required to inform evidence-based support.
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