Association between maternal adverse childhood experiences and children’s neuropsychological development

Objective: To investigate the prevalence of maternal adverse childhood experiences(ACEs) and the intergenerational effect on children's neuropsychological development,so as to provide scientific basis for promoting the physical and mental health development of children. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted within four kindergartens and two health center outpatient clinics in Beihai City. The maternal prevalence of ACEs and the neuropsychological development of their children were investigated using the simplified Chinese version of the International Scale of Adverse Childhood Experiences(SC-ACE-IQ) and the parental version of Ages& Stages Questionnaires, Third Edition(ASQ-3), respectively. A multiple logistic regression model was applied to analyze the association between maternal ACEs and neuropsychological development of children. Results: The top three most common ACEs for mothers were community violence(36.9%), domestic violence(32.3%),and physical neglect(22.5%), and 65.6% of them experienced at least one ACE. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that maternal emotional neglect experienced during childhood increased the risk of offspring's developmental delays in problem-solving(OR=3.8, 95% CI: 1.2-12.0, P=0.023), communication(OR=6.9, 95% CI:2.3-20.3, P<0.001), and gross motor movements(OR=3.8, 95% CI: 1.5-9.7, P=0.005). Conclusion: Maternal ACEs among preschool children in Beihai has certain local characteristics. Maternal emotional neglect may affect the developmental delays in children, including problem solving, communication, and gross motor movements.