Mapping Antenatal Maternal Stress - Child Outcomes (MAMS-CO)

Mapping Antenatal Maternal Stress - Child Outcomes (MAMS-CO)

This study is a sub-study of Mapping Antenatal Maternal Stress (MAMS). Women previously enrolled in MAMS, their children and their partners/spouses were recruited for a set of more comprehensive assessments to characterise early neurodevelopmental outcomes in children, their associations with antenatal and postnatal maternal emotional health, and how paternal genetics, mental health and parenting styles and perceptions may influence this relationship.

Study Overview

• Status: Active, not recruiting
• Conditions: Psychology, Social; Socioeconomic Factors; Genetic Susceptibility; Neurological and Mental Health Conditions

Detailed Description

There is considerable evidence that maternal symptoms of depression and anxiety are associated, independent of birth outcomes, with detrimental outcomes in offspring, including cognitive, emotional and social development, as well as increased risk for psychopathology. Prior neuroimaging evidence has revealed effects of prenatal maternal symptoms of depression or anxiety on offspring brain structure and connectivity. In particular, individual differences in the volume and structure of limbic regions (i.e., hippocampus and amygdala) as well as prefrontal cortical regions implicated in psychopathology are associated with the quality of pre- and post-natal maternal mental health. The more recent studies reveal effects on critical connections between cortical and limbic regions, such as those from the amygdala to the insular cortex. There is also increasing evidence that the effects of maternal antenatal mood are of equal or greater importance in predicting child outcomes than maternal symptoms in the postnatal period.

In addition, whilst literature on paternal involvement has largely reflected a positive impact on child outcomes, these studies were done in western populations and may not be generalised in the context of local population, given the differences in ethnic and cultural backgrounds.

As such, the current study builds on the MAMS study's focus on maternal mental health and wellbeing, by undertaking more comprehensive assessments related to child outcomes and parent-child interactions, including paternal factors. The polygenic risk score (PRS) framework used in MAMS can be extended to fathers and children to investigate inter-individual variations in response to adversity.

Data will be collected through questionnaires done online, measurements, and assessments done during lab-based visits.

• Collection of samples such as buccal swabs and saliva
• Sleep actigraphy measures on infants
• Body measurements such as height, weight, and blood pressure
• Child developmental and behavioral assessments, including cognitive and language assessments
• Cognitive, socio-emotional and parenting tasks for mothers
• Mother-child interaction tasks
• Mother and infant EEG measurements
• Child eye-tracking tasks
• MRI measurements from the infant at postnatal 1 and 6 months
• Questionnaires related to depression, anxiety, psychosocial risk factors such as life stressors, social and partner support, socioeconomic factors, medical history, behavior, cognition, lifestyle, health status, parental bonding, childhood adversity experienced, socio-emotional factors, executive function, family dynamics, sleep quality, personality traits

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Actual): 587

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Singapore
  • Singapore, Singapore, 117609
    • Institute for Human Development and Potential

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Singapore residents

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

Mother:

1. Enrolled in MAMS study
2. Intends for herself and her child to stay in Singapore for the next 5 years
3. Access to a smartphone or standard laptop/ desktop
4. Willing to take part in this study and able to provide written consent
5. Aged 21-42 years

Father:

1. Partner is already enrolled in MAMS study
2. Aged 21-75 years

Exclusion Criteria:

Mother:

1. Women with pre-existing or a history of psychotic depression, schizophrenia and bipolar disorders
2. Women currently on oral/IV steroids and/or thyroids medication
3. Women with a history of thyroid disease
4. Women currently involved in on-going interventional randomized controlled trials

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Determine specific contribution of maternal prenatal mood factor components to specific child developmental outcomes	Analyses of maternal prenatal mood factors (e.g: maternal positive health, anxiety, depressive symptoms etc) to determine which components contribute to specific neurocognitive, socio-emotional and developmental outcomes in children	From pregnancy to postnatal 6 years
Functional and structural neuroimaging during infancy and early childhood	To examine functional dynamics and structural patterns of the brain anatomy and connectivity and its relation to child neurocognitive outcomes	From birth to postnatal 6 years
Contextual variables that moderate association between parental mental health and child outcomes	To assess perinatal parental mental health in relation to child developmental outcomes using standardized clinical measures that have predictive validity for cognitive, emotional and social outcomes in young children, including SES, family cohesion, parental attitudes and genetics	From pregnancy to postnatal 6 years
Influence of paternal factors on relationship between maternal mental mood and child outcomes	To examine examine paternal factors such as genetics, emotional health and parenting perceptions as modulators and mediators of maternal mental mood on child's socio-emotional, cognitive and developmental outcomes	From pregnancy to postnatal 6 years

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Institute for Human Development and Potential (IHDP), Singapore
• Collaborators: National University Hospital, Singapore; KK Women's and Children's Hospital; McGill Faculty of Medicine

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): September 22, 2021
• Primary Completion (Estimated): June 1, 2031
• Study Completion (Estimated): June 1, 2031

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: February 12, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 18, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): February 25, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): February 25, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 18, 2026
• Last Verified: January 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Genetics; Mental Health; Neurodevelopment
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Nervous System Diseases; Pathologic Processes; Disease Attributes; Disease Susceptibility; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Behavior; Signs and Symptoms; Personal Satisfaction; Neurologic Manifestations; Genetic Predisposition to Disease; Psychological Well-Being
• Other Study ID Numbers: 2021/00189

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No