Maternal hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) system activity and stress during pregnancy: Effects on gestational age and infant's anthropometric measures at birth

Psychoneuroendocrinology
Maria GillesMichael Deuschle

Abstract

Prenatal maternal stress might be a risk for the developing fetus and may have long-lasting effects on child and adult vulnerability to somatic and psychiatric disease. Over-exposure of the unborn to excess glucocorticoids and subsequent alteration of fetal development is hypothesized to be one of the key mechanisms linking prenatal stress with negative child outcome. In this prospective longitudinal study, mothers-to-be (n = 405) in late pregnancy (36.8 ± 1.9 weeks of gestational age) and their singleton neonates were studied. We investigated the impact of different prenatal stress indices derived from six stress variables (perceived stress, specific prenatal worries, negative life events, symptoms of depression, trait anxiety, neuroticism) and diurnal maternal saliva cortisol secretion on gestational age and anthropometric measures at birth. Maternal prenatal distress during late gestation was associated with significant reduction in birth weight (-217 g; p = .005), birth length (-1.2 cm; p = .005) and head circumference (-0.8 cm; p = .001). Prenatal stress was modestly but significantly associated with altered diurnal cortisol pattern (flattened cortisol decline and higher evening cortisol), which in turn was significantly r...Continue Reading

Citations

Oct 28, 2019·The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism·Greisa Vila, Maria Fleseriu
Sep 12, 2019·International Journal of Behavioral Medicine·Jenna L RiisSara B Johnson
Jan 24, 2019·International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health·Anna Merklinger-Gruchala, Maria Kapiszewska
Jan 30, 2020·Archives of Women's Mental Health·Levinsky AvrahamPariente Gali
Mar 23, 2020·Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics·R T Amiel CastroP La Marca-Ghaemmaghami
Sep 25, 2020·International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health·Alicia K PetersonCarrie V Breton
Nov 12, 2020·International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health·Nicki L Aubuchon-EndsleyNicole Douthit
Mar 11, 2021·Psychoneuroendocrinology·Eva Kathrin LamadéMichael Deuschle
Apr 15, 2019·General and Comparative Endocrinology·Vicky Batchelor, Terence Y Pang
Apr 27, 2021·Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy·Sabrina Chapuis-de-AndradeBartira Ercília Pinheiro da Costa

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