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Nazzari S, Pili MP, Günay Y, Provenzi L. Pandemic babies: A systematic review of the association between maternal pandemic-related stress during pregnancy and infant development. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 162:105723. [PMID: 38762129 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2024] [Accepted: 05/11/2024] [Indexed: 05/20/2024]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic, with its far-reaching influence on daily life, constituted a highly stressful experience for many people worldwide, jeopardizing individuals' mental health, particularly in vulnerable populations such as pregnant women. While a growing body of evidence links prenatal maternal stress to biological and developmental alterations in offspring, the specific impact of prenatal exposure to maternal pandemic-related stress (PRS) on infant development remains unclear. A comprehensive literature search was performed in October 2023 according to the PRISMA guidelines, which yielded a total of 28 records. The selected papers investigated a vast range of developmental and biological outcomes in the offspring with large methodological variations. The reviewed studies showed mixed results. Either direct associations between maternal PRS during pregnancy and infant temperament and socio-emotional development, or indirect links, mediated by maternal mental health, emerged in most studies. Furthermore, maternal PRS was associated with epigenetic and brain alterations in the offspring, although studies were limited in number. Collectively, the reviewed findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the role of early adverse exposures on infant development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Nazzari
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy.
| | - Miriam Paola Pili
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Yaren Günay
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Livio Provenzi
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy; Developmental Psychobiology Lab, IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy
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Conway F, Portela A, Filippi V, Chou D, Kovats S. Climate change, air pollution and maternal and newborn health: An overview of reviews of health outcomes. J Glob Health 2024; 14:04128. [PMID: 38785109 PMCID: PMC11117177 DOI: 10.7189/jogh.14.04128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Climate change represents a fundamental threat to human health, with pregnant women and newborns being more susceptible than other populations. In this review, we aimed to describe the current landscape of available epidemiological evidence on key climate risks on maternal and newborn health (MNH). Methods We sought to identify published systematic and scoping reviews investigating the impact of different climate hazards and air pollution on MNH outcomes. With this in mind, we developed a systematic search strategy based on the concepts of 'climate/air pollution hazards, 'maternal health,' and 'newborn health,' with restrictions to reviews published between 1 January 2010 and 6 February 2023, but without geographical or language restriction. Following full text screening and data extraction, we synthesised the results using narrative synthesis. Results We found 79 reviews investigating the effects of climate hazards on MNH, mainly focussing on outdoor air pollution (n = 47, 59%), heat (n = 24, 30%), and flood/storm disasters (n = 7, 9%). Most were published after 2015 (n = 60, 76%). These reviews had consistent findings regarding the positive association of exposure to heat and to air pollution with adverse birth outcomes, particularly preterm birth. We found limited evidence for impacts of climate-related food and water security on MNH and did not identify any reviews on climate-sensitive infectious diseases and MNH. Conclusions Climate change could undermine recent improvements in maternal and newborn health. Our review provides an overview of key climate risks to MNH. It could therefore be useful to the MNH community to better understand the MNH needs for each climate hazard and to strengthen discussions on evidence and research gaps and potential actions. Despite the lack of comprehensive evidence for some climate hazards and for many maternal, perinatal, and newborn outcomes, we observed repeated findings of the impact of heat and air pollutants on birth outcomes, particularly preterm birth. It is time for policy dialogue to follow to specifically design climate policy and actions to protect the needs of MNH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Conway
- World Health Organization, Department of Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health and Ageing, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Anayda Portela
- World Health Organization, Department of Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health and Ageing, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Veronique Filippi
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London, United Kingdom
| | - Doris Chou
- UNDP/UNFPA/UNICEF/WHO/The World Bank Special Programme of Research, Development and Research Training in Human Reproduction (HRP), World Health Organization, Department of Sexual and Reproductive Health, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Sari Kovats
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Environmental Change and Health, London, United Kingdom
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Merced-Nieves FM, Lerman B, Colicino E, Bosquet Enlow M, Wright RO, Wright RJ. Maternal lifetime stress and psychological functioning in pregnancy is associated with preschoolers' temperament: Exploring effect modification by race and ethnicity. Neurotoxicol Teratol 2024; 103:107355. [PMID: 38719081 PMCID: PMC11156532 DOI: 10.1016/j.ntt.2024.107355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2024] [Revised: 04/02/2024] [Accepted: 05/03/2024] [Indexed: 05/14/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Psychosocial stress and psychopathology frequently co-occur, with patterns differing by race and ethnicity. We used statistical mixtures methodology to examine associations between prenatal stress and child temperament in N = 382 racially and ethnically diverse maternal-child dyads to disentangle associations among maternal stressful life events, maternal psychological functioning in pregnancy, childhood neurobehavior, and maternal race and ethnicity. METHODS This study utilized data from a longitudinal pregnancy cohort, PRogramming of Intergenerational Stress Mechanisms (PRISM). Mothers completed the Lifetime Stressor Checklist-Revised, Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, and Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Scale during pregnancy. When their children were 3-5 years of age, they completed the Children's Behavior Questionnaire, which yields three temperament dimensions: Negative Affectivity (NA), Effortful Control (EC), and Surgency (S). We used weighted quantile sum regression to derive a weighted maternal stress index encompassing lifetime stress and depression and anxiety symptoms and examined associations between the resulting stress index and child temperament. Differential contributions of individual stress domains by race and ethnicity also were examined. RESULTS Mothers self-identified as Black/Black Hispanic (46.1 %), non-Black Hispanic (31.9 %), or non-Hispanic White (22 %). A higher maternal stress index was significantly associated with increased child NA (β = 0.72 95 % CI = 0.35, 1.10). Lifetime stress was the strongest contributor among Hispanic (36.7 %) and White (17.8 %) mothers, whereas depressive symptoms in pregnancy was the strongest contributor among Black (16.7 %) mothers. CONCLUSION Prenatal stress was most strongly associated with negative affectivity in early childhood. Consideration of multiple stress measures as a mixture accounted for differential contributions of individual stress domains by maternal race and ethnicity. These findings may help elucidate the etiology of racial/ethnic disparities in childhood neurobehavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francheska M Merced-Nieves
- Department of Pediatrics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Department of Environmental Medicine and Climate Science, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Institute for Climate Change, Environmental Health, and Exposomics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Bonnie Lerman
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Elena Colicino
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Climate Science, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Institute for Climate Change, Environmental Health, and Exposomics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Michelle Bosquet Enlow
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Robert O Wright
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Climate Science, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Institute for Climate Change, Environmental Health, and Exposomics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Rosalind J Wright
- Department of Pediatrics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Department of Environmental Medicine and Climate Science, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Institute for Climate Change, Environmental Health, and Exposomics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
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Borges-Vieira JG, Cardoso CKS. Efficacy of B-vitamins and vitamin D therapy in improving depressive and anxiety disorders: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Nutr Neurosci 2023; 26:187-207. [PMID: 35156551 DOI: 10.1080/1028415x.2022.2031494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES This systematic review aimed to evaluate the efficacy of B vitamins and vitamin D therapy in improving the standard treatment of depression and anxiety disorders. We also aimed to gather the evidence supporting the recommendations for supplementation in clinical practice. METHODS Performed between March 2020 and September 2021, the main inclusion criteria were randomized controlled trials (RCTs), with patients ≥ 18 years old, both sexes, fulfilling target diagnoses of major depressive disorder (MDD), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), or mild to severe depressive and anxiety symptoms. In addition, the RCTs were included if the scales to assess the severity of the symptoms were standardized rating scales in psychiatric. Trials that reported diagnoses of schizophrenia, perinatal depression, bipolar depression, sleep disorders, eating disorders, cancer, and multiple sclerosis in association with any of the mentioned diagnoses were excluded. RESULTS We identified 20 RCTs that matched all eligibility criteria, totaling 2,256 subjects, diagnosed with MDD, GAD, and depressive or anxiety symptoms. Supplementation with folic acid or L-methylfolate, B1, B12 or methylcobalamin, and vitamin D (in different doses and study duration) significantly decreased depression score scales by increasing response to standard pharmacological treatment or as monotherapy, including partial or complete remission. As for anxiety symptoms, the availability of results is limited to adjuvant vitamin D therapy. DISCUSSION B vitamins and vitamin D associated with other compounds also showed significant results, so the improvement in symptoms cannot be attributed strictly to those. Our results suggest that intervention with B vitamins and/or vitamin D may be an effective and well-tolerated adjuvant strategy for improving the symptoms of depression and anxiety, according to the patient's clinical status and nutritional biomarkers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaqueline G Borges-Vieira
- Biomedical Scientist, Genetics Specialization. Bachelor of Science in Nutrition, Department of Nutrition, School of Social and Health Sciences, Pontifical Catholic University of Goiás, Goiânia, Brazil
| | - Camila K Souza Cardoso
- Ph.D. in Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Federal University of Goiás. Professor of Nutrition, Department of Nutrition, School of Social and Health Sciences, Pontifical Catholic University of Goiás, Goiânia, Brazil
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Bianco C, Sania A, Kyle MH, Beebe B, Barbosa J, Bence M, Coskun L, Fields A, Firestein MR, Goldman S, Hane A, Hott V, Hussain M, Hyman S, Lucchini M, Marsh R, Mollicone I, Myers M, Ofray D, Pini N, Rodriguez C, Shuffrey LC, Tottenham N, Welch MG, Fifer W, Monk C, Dumitriu D, Amso D. Pandemic beyond the virus: maternal COVID-related postnatal stress is associated with infant temperament. Pediatr Res 2023; 93:253-259. [PMID: 35444294 PMCID: PMC9020754 DOI: 10.1038/s41390-022-02071-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2021] [Revised: 12/30/2021] [Accepted: 03/26/2022] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Studies have shown that infant temperament varies with maternal psychosocial factors, in utero illness, and environmental stressors. We predicted that the pandemic would shape infant temperament through maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy and/or maternal postnatal stress. To test this, we examined associations among infant temperament, maternal prenatal SARS-CoV-2 infection, maternal postnatal stress, and postnatal COVID-related life disruptions. METHODS We tested 63 mother-infant dyads with prenatal maternal SARS-CoV-2 infections and a comparable group of 110 dyads without infections. To assess postnatal maternal stress, mothers completed the Perceived Stress Scale 4 months postpartum and an evaluation of COVID-related stress and life disruptions 6 months postpartum. Mothers reported on infant temperament when infants were 6-months-old using the Infant Behavior Questionnaire-Revised (IBQ-R) Very Short Form. RESULTS Maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy was not associated with infant temperament or maternal postnatal stress. Mothers with higher self-reported postnatal stress rated their infants lower on the Positive Affectivity/Surgency and Orienting/Regulation IBQ-R subscales. Mothers who reported greater COVID-related life disruptions rated their infants higher on the Negative Emotionality IBQ-R subscale. CONCLUSIONS Despite no effect of prenatal maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection, stress and life disruptions incurred by the COVID-19 pandemic were associated with infant temperament at 6-months. IMPACT SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy is not associated with postnatal ratings of COVID-related life disruptions, maternal stress, or infant temperament. Postnatal ratings of maternal stress during the COVID-19 pandemic are associated with normative variation in maternal report of infant temperament at 6 months of age. Higher postnatal ratings of maternal stress are associated with lower scores on infant Positive Affectivity/Surgency and Orienting/Regulation at 6 months of age. Higher postnatal ratings of COVID-related life disruptions are associated with higher scores on infant Negative Emotionality at 6 months of age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine Bianco
- grid.21729.3f0000000419368729Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, NY USA
| | - Ayesha Sania
- grid.239585.00000 0001 2285 2675Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY USA
| | - Margaret H. Kyle
- grid.239585.00000 0001 2285 2675Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY USA
| | - Beatrice Beebe
- grid.413734.60000 0000 8499 1112Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY USA
| | - Jennifer Barbosa
- grid.239585.00000 0001 2285 2675Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY USA
| | - Mary Bence
- grid.239585.00000 0001 2285 2675Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY USA
| | - Lerzan Coskun
- grid.239585.00000 0001 2285 2675Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY USA
| | - Andrea Fields
- grid.21729.3f0000000419368729Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, NY USA
| | - Morgan R. Firestein
- grid.239585.00000 0001 2285 2675Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY USA
| | - Sylvie Goldman
- grid.239585.00000 0001 2285 2675Department of Neurology, Division of Child Neurology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY USA
| | - Amie Hane
- grid.21729.3f0000000419368729Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, NY USA ,grid.268275.c0000 0001 2284 9898Department of Psychology, Williams College, Williamstown, MA USA
| | - Violet Hott
- grid.239585.00000 0001 2285 2675Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY USA
| | - Maha Hussain
- grid.239585.00000 0001 2285 2675Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY USA
| | - Sabrina Hyman
- grid.239585.00000 0001 2285 2675Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY USA
| | - Maristella Lucchini
- grid.239585.00000 0001 2285 2675Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY USA
| | - Rachel Marsh
- grid.239585.00000 0001 2285 2675Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY USA
| | - Isabelle Mollicone
- grid.239585.00000 0001 2285 2675Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY USA
| | - Michael Myers
- grid.239585.00000 0001 2285 2675Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY USA
| | - Dayshalis Ofray
- grid.239585.00000 0001 2285 2675Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY USA
| | - Nicolo Pini
- grid.239585.00000 0001 2285 2675Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY USA
| | - Cynthia Rodriguez
- grid.239585.00000 0001 2285 2675Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY USA
| | - Lauren C. Shuffrey
- grid.239585.00000 0001 2285 2675Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY USA
| | - Nim Tottenham
- grid.21729.3f0000000419368729Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, NY USA
| | - Martha G. Welch
- grid.239585.00000 0001 2285 2675Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY USA ,grid.239585.00000 0001 2285 2675Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY USA ,grid.239585.00000 0001 2285 2675Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY USA
| | - William Fifer
- grid.239585.00000 0001 2285 2675Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY USA ,grid.239585.00000 0001 2285 2675Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY USA
| | - Catherine Monk
- grid.239585.00000 0001 2285 2675Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY USA ,grid.239585.00000 0001 2285 2675Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY USA
| | - Dani Dumitriu
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA. .,Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Dima Amso
- grid.21729.3f0000000419368729Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, NY USA
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Foss S, So RP, Petty CR, Waber DP, Wright RJ, Bosquet Enlow M. Effects of Maternal and Child Lifetime Traumatic Stress Exposures, Infant Temperament, and Caregiving Quality on Preschoolers' Executive Functioning. Dev Neuropsychol 2022; 47:327-352. [PMID: 36475997 PMCID: PMC9837737 DOI: 10.1080/87565641.2022.2147180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
We examined effects of maternal and child lifetime traumatic stress exposures, infant temperament, and caregiving quality on parent ratings of preschoolers' executive functioning (EF). Maternal lifetime trauma was associated with preschoolers' EF problems; this association was mediated by greater child trauma exposure. Infant temperament was associated with EF abilities, particularly among females. Among males, infant extraversion/surgency mediated the association of maternal lifetime trauma with poorer child EF. Caregiving quality was negatively associated with maternal and child trauma exposures but did not predict child EF. Findings have implications for interventions to identify children at risk for poor EF and optimize outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie Foss
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Rachel P. So
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Carter R. Petty
- Institutional Centers for Clinical and Translational Research, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Deborah P. Waber
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Rosalind J. Wright
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Kravis Children’s Hospital, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
- Institute for Exposomic Research, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Michelle Bosquet Enlow
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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