Sun J, et al. - The physicians attempted this work to explore how mothers’ Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) relate to their children’s developmental risk and to evaluate how the association was mediated through mothers’ depressive symptoms and fair/poor health. Accumulated evidence revealed that mothers’ ACEs were significantly associated with their children’s developmental risk. If replicated, child development could be promoted by addressing intergenerational trauma through a focus on childhood adversity among young children’s caregivers.

Methods

• This study included mothers of children aged between 4 months and 4 years from the emergency department of a children’s hospital between March 2012 and June 2015.
• All the participants were interviewed about ACEs, mothers’ depressive symptoms and health status, and children’s developmental risk (screened via Parents’ Evaluations of Developmental Status [PEDS]).
• A Cochran–Armitage test evaluated trend of PEDS by ACEs, between August and November 2016.
• By ACEs severity, multinomial regression models examined differences in PEDS.
• Mediation by mothers’ depressive symptoms and self-rated health was also explored.

Results

• Out of 1,293 mothers, 56.7% reported one or more ACEs.
• Mothers also reported developmental risk (20.4% overall): 120 (9.2%) reported one concern and 144 (11.2%) reported two or more concerns on the PEDS.
• Evidence displayed that mothers who reported household substance use, mental illness, or an incarcerated household member during childhood were more likely to report at least one child developmental concern on the PEDS.
• After controlling for covariates, odds of one PEDS concern were 1.86 (95% CI=1.16, 3.00) for ACEs, one to three versus none, and 2.21 (95% CI=1.26, 3.87) for ACEs four or more versus none.
• Adjusted odds of two or more concerns were 1.70 (95% CI=1.07, 2.72) for ACEs, one to three versus none, and 1.76 (95% CI=1.02, 3.05) for ACEs, four or more versus none.
• Findings indicated that mothers’ depressive symptoms and self-rated health were potential mediators.