0999 MATERNAL HISTORY OF CHILD ABUSE IS ASSOCIATED WITH INFANT SLEEP CONSOLIDATION DURING THE FIRST YEAR OF LIFE

Abstract

Introduction: Infant sleep consolidation is an important developmental milestone that may support optimal child outcomes. The objective of this study was to evaluate if maternal history of child abuse (CA) was associated with infant sleep consolidation in the first year of life and identify modifiable psychosocial mediators of the association. Methods: This study was a secondary analysis of the All Our Babies study; a Canadian community based mother child cohort. Participants included 1250 women who provided self-report data on history of CA (physical, emotional, or sexual) during pregnancy and infant sleep consolidation (average number of infant night wakings and longest length of night time sleep) at 4 and 12 months postpartum. Results: Approximately 15% (n = 190) of women reported a history of CA. After controlling for differences in maternal education, income, ethnicity, parity, and infant sex there were significant group differences in sleep consolidation at 12 months (MD = 0.51 hours, 95% CI [0.050, 0.97]), but not 4 months postpartum; women with a history of CA reported less infant sleep consolidation than women without a history of CA. Results of serial mediation indicated a pathway whereby history of CA was associated with higher maternal anxiety at 4 and 12-months. In combination, these two variables fully mediated the relationship between maternal CA and infant sleep consolidation (p < .05). Conclusion: Findings showed that maternal history of CA was associated with poorer infant sleep consolidation at 12 but not 4 months; maternal anxiety at 4 and 12 months postpartum fully mediated this relationship. For mothers with a CA history, maternal anxiety may play a role in the development of poorer infant sleep consolidation. Treating maternal anxiety in women with a history of CA may represent a target of intervention for preventing or mitigating the development of poor infant sleep consolidation.