From maternal womb to parents' arms: the influence of postnatal caregiving in the association between prenatal stress exposure and infant development.

Maternal psychological distress during pregnancy has been associated with an increased risk of altered neurodevelopmental outcomes in the offspring, yet the mechanisms linking prenatal exposures to later physiological, behavioral, and socio-emotional outcomes remain incompletely understood. This narrative review examines the potential role of postnatal caregiving in mediating or moderating some of these associations. Evidence suggests that prenatal distress often persists into the postpartum period and may impair the quality of early maternal caregiving, thereby providing a potential postnatal