Skip to main content
Tessa NewsLink
Paste a health news link, or browse

Source study found

Story checked

Early pregnancy emotions may predict childhood developmental delay risks (opens in a new tab)

news-medical.net · 2026-09-09

Short answerEvidenceSource

Short answer

Mixed

Mixed.

The claims we could check match the study, but some claims were not covered by the evidence reviewed.

  • 2 supported
  • 1 not covered

Checked against the study summary. The full text wasn't available, so some details couldn't be settled either way.

Share this check

Follow the evidence trail
1
2

NewsLink checks it

Mixed

Every claim we could check holds up. Two of three claims match the study. This overall rating is based only on the claims we could check. One claim the study doesn't address.

  • 2 supported
  • 1 not covered
Open claim evidence
3
Then inspect each claim

Evidence layer

Claim by claim

Each claim gets a verdict. Expand it to see the evidence directly below.

3 claims in this story

Showing all 3 claimsChoose a verdict to focus the list.

Claim 1 of 3Not coveredThe article says mothers reporting anything other than being very happy also tended to have lower levels of social support, and that stronger social support was associated with fewer developmental delays in children, with the protective effect strongest for mothers who described 'other feelings' upon learning they were pregnant.View evidenceHide evidence

As statedstronger support networks were less likely

Why this verdict

The profile supports the association between social support and reduced developmental delays, especially the reported 45.0% reduction/mediation estimate among mothers reporting “other feelings.” However, the supplied abstract-level evidence does not verify the story’s additional statement that mothers reporting anything other than being very happy tended to have lower levels of social support. The exact interpretation of the social-support estimate is also limited at abstract depth.

1

Study evidence

Social support measured at 2.5 years postpartum was reported to substantially reduce the association between negative pregnancy feelings and developmental delays, with a reported mediated/reduction estimate of 45.0% (95% CI 41.0–48.3) for mothers reporting “other feelings.”45.0% (95% CI 41.0–48.3)

“This study examined the impact of negative feelings about pregnancy on child developmental delays and the mediating role of social support.”
Claim 2 of 3SupportedA research team led by Dr. Mitsue Nagamine analyzed data from a large Japanese birth cohort to examine whether mothers' feelings when they learned they were pregnant were related to developmental delays in their children at age 3, and whether postpartum social support could reduce those risks.View evidenceHide evidence

As stated73,518 mother-child pairs

Why this verdict

The paper profile supports the core scientific claim: a JECS secondary analysis of 73,518 mother–infant pairs examined maternal feelings about pregnancy in the first trimester, child developmental delays at age 3, and the mediating role of postpartum social support. The named lead researcher is not verified in the supplied abstract-level profile, but the study design, cohort size, exposure, outcome, and social-support question are supported.

1

Study evidence

Maternal feelings about pregnancy other than “very happy” in the first trimester were associated with higher odds of child developmental delays at age 3 years (ASQ).

“Data from the Japan Environment and Children’s Study, involving 73,518 mother–infant pairs, were analyzed.”
2

Study evidence

Social support measured at 2.5 years postpartum was reported to substantially reduce the association between negative pregnancy feelings and developmental delays, with a reported mediated/reduction estimate of 45.0% (95% CI 41.0–48.3) for mothers reporting “other feelings.”45.0% (95% CI 41.0–48.3)

“This study examined the impact of negative feelings about pregnancy on child developmental delays and the mediating role of social support.”
Claim 3 of 3SupportedCompared with mothers who said they were 'very happy' when they learned of the pregnancy, every other emotional response was associated with a higher likelihood of developmental delays at age 3; the strongest association was reported among mothers who said they had 'no specific feelings.'View evidenceHide evidence

As statedevery other emotional response; strongest association for 'no specific feelings'

Why this verdict

The abstract-level profile states that feelings about pregnancy other than “very happy” were associated with higher odds of developmental delays at age 3, and that the strongest reported association was for mothers reporting “no specific feelings” compared with “very happy” mothers, with adjusted OR 1.68.

1

Study evidence

Maternal feelings about pregnancy other than “very happy” in the first trimester were associated with higher odds of child developmental delays at age 3 years (ASQ).

“Data from the Japan Environment and Children’s Study, involving 73,518 mother–infant pairs, were analyzed.”
2

Study evidence

Social support measured at 2.5 years postpartum was reported to substantially reduce the association between negative pregnancy feelings and developmental delays, with a reported mediated/reduction estimate of 45.0% (95% CI 41.0–48.3) for mothers reporting “other feelings.”45.0% (95% CI 41.0–48.3)

“This study examined the impact of negative feelings about pregnancy on child developmental delays and the mediating role of social support.”
Then look for missing context

Context layer

What the story left out

Important study details the story did not include.

  • Exposure, mediator, and outcome were questionnaire-based measures, creating potential measurement and reporting bias.

    The supplied story caveats do not mention that pregnancy feelings, social support, and developmental-delay screening were questionnaire-based and subject to reporting or measurement bias.

    From Secondary analysis of prospective birth cohort (JECS); prospective cohort secondary analysis

  • At abstract depth, the adjusted covariates, model specification, missing-data handling, and mediation assumptions are not reported.

    The story caveats do not mention these abstract-level limitations, which matter especially for interpreting the social-support mediation or mitigation claim.

    From Secondary analysis of prospective birth cohort (JECS); prospective cohort secondary analysis

5 things the story did carry across
  • The study was a secondary analysis of the nationwide Japan Environment and Children’s Study birth cohort with 73,518 mother–infant pairs.
  • Maternal feelings about pregnancy were assessed in the first trimester, and child developmental delays were assessed at age 3 using the Ages and Stages Questionnaire.
  • Feelings other than “very happy” were associated with higher odds of developmental delays at age 3, with the strongest association for “no specific feelings” versus “very happy.”
  • Social support measured at 2.5 years postpartum was analyzed as a mediator or mitigating factor and was associated with reduced developmental delays, especially among mothers reporting “other feelings.”
  • The evidence is observational; causality is not established from the abstract-level profile.
Then read the study layer

Study layer

Study at a glance

Scan the study first. Expand only the parts you want to inspect.

Pieces of work

2

Evidence read

study summary

Lead result

secondary data

1Lead resultsecondary dataEstimate the association between negative feelings about pregnancy (assessed in 1st trimester) and child developmental delays at age 3 years in a nationwide Japanese birth cohort (JECS).Secondary analysis of prospective birth cohort (JECS)Expand

In plain English

Secondary analysis of 73,518 mother–infant pairs from the Japan Environment and Children’s Study (JECS) estimating the association between maternal feelings about pregnancy (assessed in the first trimester) and child developmental delays at age 3 years (assessed with the Ages and Stages Questionnaire). Multivariable logistic regression showed that feelings other than “very happy” were associated with higher odds of developmental delays, with the strongest reported association for mothers reporting “no specific feelings” (adjusted OR 1.68; 95% CI 1.41–2.00). Measures of social support (assessed at 2.5 years postpartum) were associated with reduced delays, particularly a reported 45.0% reduction (95% CI 41.0–48.3) among mothers reporting “other feelings.”

Key findings

  • Maternal feelings about pregnancy other than “very happy” in the first trimester were associated with higher odds of child developmental delays at age 3 years (ASQ).
  • Mothers reporting “no specific feelings” about pregnancy had the strongest reported association with developmental delay compared with “very happy” mothers.Adjusted OR 1.68 (95% CI 1.41–2.00)
“Data from the Japan Environment and Children’s Study, involving 73,518 mother–infant pairs, were analyzed.”
What this piece can’t prove
  • Secondary observational analysis of cohort data; abstract does not establish causality.
  • Exposure (pregnancy feelings), mediator (social support), and outcome (ASQ) are questionnaire-based measures subject to reporting bias.
  • Abstract does not report the set of confounders adjusted for or details of model specification.
2secondary dataQuantify the mediating effect of social support (measured at 2.5 years postpartum) on the relationship between negative feelings about pregnancy and developmental delays at age 3 years.prospective cohort secondary analysisExpand

In plain English

In a nationwide JECS birth-cohort secondary analysis (n=73,518), the authors examined whether social support measured at 2.5 years postpartum mediated the association between maternal feelings about pregnancy assessed in the first trimester and child developmental delays at age 3 (Ages and Stages Questionnaire). Regression models reported that feelings other than “very happy” were associated with increased odds of developmental delay (strongest for “no specific feelings”, adjusted OR 1.68, 95% CI 1.41–2.00), and that social support substantially reduced delays for mothers reporting “other feelings” (mediated/reduction estimate 45.0%, 95% CI 41.0–48.3).

Key findings

  • Social support measured at 2.5 years postpartum was reported to substantially reduce the association between negative pregnancy feelings and developmental delays, with a reported mediated/reduction estimate of 45.0% (95% CI 41.0–48.3) for mothers reporting “other feelings.”45.0% (95% CI 41.0–48.3)
  • Feelings about pregnancy other than “very happy” were associated with higher odds of developmental delay at age 3; mothers reporting “no specific feelings” had the strongest reported association.Adjusted OR 1.68 (95% CI 1.41–2.00) for “no specific feelings” vs “very happy”
“This study examined the impact of negative feelings about pregnancy on child developmental delays and the mediating role of social support.”
What this piece can’t prove

3 further details could not be confirmed from the summary.

Finally, the search trail

Method layer

NewsLink found the paper. Tessa takes you deeper.

NewsLink checks the story. Tessa is where you inspect the paper, authors, evidence, and research context.

Open the paper in Tessa

The mediating effect of social support on the relationship between negative feelings about pregnancy and child developmental delays: A nationwide birth cohort – the Japan Environment and Children’s Study

Journal of Health Psychology · 2026

Deep dive in Tessa (opens in a new tab)Source record (opens in a new tab)

Why this one

Near certain

NewsLink found the paper. Tessa is where you inspect it deeply.

Papers considered

The selected paper, plus nearby candidates.

Crossref, PubMed · 16 candidate papers

Selected

The mediating effect of social support on the relationship between negative feelings about pregnancy and child developmental delays: A nationwide birth cohort – the Japan Environment and Children’s Study

Journal of Health Psychology · 2026 · Crossref

Tessa (opens in a new tab)Source (opens in a new tab)

And 10 more candidates considered.