Animal studies provide compelling evidence that exposure to stress prior to conception can compromise offspring outcomes, but human studies are few. We investigated the links between maternal emotional distress, following preconception exposure to war, and child outcomes at the age 10 years. Before becoming pregnant, mothers were exposed to missile bombardment on the north of Israel (2006 Lebanon war). Mothers who conceived within 12 months after the war were recruited and compared to mothers who conceived during the same period but lived outside missile range. During the initial assessment, mothers completed a questionnaire on emotional distress. At 10 years of age, mothers and children (N=68) reported on child socio-emotional outcomes (i.e. internalizing and externalizing behavior problems, behavior regulation problems, attachment security). Multiple regression analyses revealed that, in girls, higher maternal emotional distress following preconception war exposure predicted more internalizing and externalizing behavior problems, and more behavior regulation problems. In boys, maternal emotional distress was not significantly related to outcomes. In conclusion, maternal emotional distress following preconception exposure to war forecasts sex-specific child behavioral problems, as reported by the mother and the child. As such, this study captured a unique combination of circumstances and the findings suggest that maternal preconception stress should be considered as a determinant of child development. Maternal emotional distress following preconception war was not only associated with maternal report of child socio-emotional functioning, but also with child report, suggesting that our findings are robust and likely not due to a reporter-bias. Our findings add to the small but growing body of research on the consequences of maternal stress exposure prior to conception for the next generation

Full-time professor at department of Counseling and Human Development, University of Haifa