Cohort Profile: Mapping Antenatal Maternal Stress (MAMS)

The Mapping Antenatal Maternal Stress (MAMS) study is a prospective, longitudinal birth cohort designed to investigate factors influencing maternal antenatal emotional well-being and develop a predictive model for this state. The study also aims to explore genetic and environmental contributions of maternal antenatal emotional well-being and how maternal mental health impacts child outcomes, including executive functions, socio-emotional, and neurocognitive development. The MAMS study recruited 1419 women aged 21–40 years in early to mid-pregnancy between September 2019 and November 2022 from the National University Hospital of Singapore, resulting in 1258 children born to the cohort. The participants were followed up for 4-6 visits during pregnancy and 7 visits postnatally until the child reached three years old. Data collection involved standardized questionnaires and the collection of biological samples (blood, buccal swabs, saliva) at multiple time points. A subset of 227 MAMS children underwent intensive laboratory-based assessments of executive functions and brain development, including electroencephalography (EEG), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and eye-tracking during the first three years of life. Paternal assessments and reports on child behavioral outcomes were also incorporated into this sub-study.