Intergenerational Associations Between Mothers’ Adverse Childhood Experiences and their Children’s Cognitive and Socioemotional Outcomes

There is emerging evidence for an intergenerational association between mothers’ adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and developmental outcomes in their children. However, the potential associations between distinct dimensions of maternal ACEs and child outcomes remain unclear. In the Ontario Birth Study (OBS), mothers receiving antenatal care in Toronto completed questionnaires on ACEs at 6–12 weeks postnatally and completed neurodevelopment screeners at 24 months for their children (N = 777). At 54 months, children (N = 1131) completed performance-based measures of cognition and mothers reported on their children’s emotional well-being. Confirmatory factor analysis of maternal ACEs revealed adequate fit for both a one- factor model of overall ACEs, and a two-factor model of abuse and household dysfunction, which offered slightly better fit. Regression analyses were conducted with both one- and two-factor models of ACEs and controlled for a range of covariates. In the one-factor model, overall maternal ACEs were significantly associated with lower child fine motor skills at 24 months, and lower child selective attention/inhibition and emotional well-being at 54 months. In the two-factor model, maternal childhood experiences of abuse were significantly associated with lower child fine motor skills, while maternal childhood experiences of household dysfunction were associated with marginally higher child communication skills at 24 months. Maternal childhood experiences of household dysfunction were also associated with greater child negative emotionality at 54 months. Results highlight partially distinct associations between different dimensions of maternal ACEs and certain domains of child development over the first five years of life.