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Rinne GR, Barclay ME, Somers JA, Mahrer NE, Shalowitz MU, Ramey SL, Dunkel Schetter C, Lee SS. Developmental cascades from maternal preconception stress to child behavior problems: Testing multilevel preconception, prenatal, and postnatal influences. Dev Psychol 2024; 60:1655-1672. [PMID: 38546574 PMCID: PMC11373736 DOI: 10.1037/dev0001728] [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: 07/26/2024]
Abstract
Although maternal stress during pregnancy and even before conception shapes offspring risk for mental health problems, relatively little is known about the mechanisms through which these associations operate. In theory, preconception and prenatal stress may affect offspring mental health by influencing child responses to postnatal caregiving. To address this knowledge gap, this study had two aims. First, we examined associations between preconception and prenatal stress with child temperament profiles at age four using multilevel assessment of maternal perceived stress and stress physiology. Second, we tested child temperament profiles as moderators of associations between observed parenting behaviors during a parent-child free-play interaction when children were 4 years old and child behavior problems 1 year later. Latent profile analyses yielded four distinct child temperament profiles: inhibited, exuberant, regulated low reactive, and regulated high reactive. Consistent with hypotheses, preconception, and prenatal stress each independently predicted the likelihood of children having temperament profiles characterized by higher negative emotionality and lower regulation. Specifically, preconception perceived stress and prenatal cortisol predicted likelihood of children having an exuberant temperament, whereas prenatal perceived stress predicted likelihood of children having an inhibited temperament. Contrary to hypotheses, temperament profiles did not moderate predictions of child behavior problems from observed parenting behaviors; however, responsive parenting behaviors inversely predicted child behavior problems independently of child temperament. These findings add to growing evidence regarding effects of preconception factors on child outcomes and underscore a central role for responsive parenting behaviors in predicting more favorable child mental health independent of child temperament. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Sharon Landesman Ramey
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute, Department of Psychology, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
| | | | - Steve S Lee
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles
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2
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Hailu EM, Riddell CA, Tucker C, Ahern J, Bradshaw PT, Carmichael SL, Mujahid MS. Neighborhood-level Fatal Police Violence and Severe Maternal Morbidity in California. Am J Epidemiol 2024:kwae124. [PMID: 38879741 DOI: 10.1093/aje/kwae124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2023] [Revised: 04/19/2024] [Indexed: 10/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Police violence is a pervasive issue that may have adverse implications for severe maternal morbidity (SMM). We assessed how the occurrence of fatal police violence (FPV) in one's neighborhood before/during pregnancy may influence SMM risk. Hospital discharge records from California between 2002-2018 were linked with the Fatal Encounters database (N=2,608,682). We identified 2,184 neighborhoods (census-tracts) with at least one FPV incident during the study period and used neighborhood fixed-effects models adjusting for individual sociodemographic characteristics to estimate odds of SMM associated with experiencing FPV in one's neighborhood anytime within the 24-months before childbirth. We did not find conclusive evidence on the link between FPV occurrence before delivery and SMM. However, estimates show that birthing people residing in neighborhoods where one or more FPV events had occurred within the preceding 24-months of giving birth may have a mildly elevated odds of SMM than those residing in the same neighborhoods with no FPV occurrence during the 24-months preceding childbirth (Odds Ratio (OR)=1.02; 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 0.99-1.05), particularly among those living in neighborhoods with fewer (1-2) FPV incidents throughout the study period (OR=1.03; 95% CI:1.00-1.06). Our findings provide evidence for the need to continue to examine the health consequences of police violence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elleni M Hailu
- Division of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, California, United States
| | - Corinne A Riddell
- Division of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, California, United States
- Division of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, California, United States
| | - Curisa Tucker
- Division of Neonatal & Developmental Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, and Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine and Obstetrics, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California, United States
| | - Jennifer Ahern
- Division of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, California, United States
| | - Patrick T Bradshaw
- Division of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, California, United States
| | - Suzan L Carmichael
- Division of Neonatal & Developmental Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, and Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine and Obstetrics, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California, United States
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California, United States
| | - Mahasin S Mujahid
- Division of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, California, United States
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3
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Fontanesi L, Verrocchio MC, D'Ettorre M, Prete G, Ceravolo F, Marchetti D. The impact of catastrophic events on the sex ratio at birth: A systematic review. Am J Hum Biol 2024; 36:e24003. [PMID: 37916952 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.24003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2023] [Revised: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The impact of maternal stress on birth outcomes is well established in the scientific research. The sex ratio at birth (SRB), namely the ratio of male to female live births, shows significant alteration when mothers experience acute stress conditions, as proposed by the Trivers-Willard Hypothesis. We aimed to synthetize the literature on the relationship between two exogenous and catastrophic stressful events (natural disasters and epidemics) and SRB. METHODS A systematic search was run in Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library, until March 9, 2023. The search produced 1336 articles and 25 articles met the inclusion criteria. We found seven case-control studies and 18 observational studies. Most of studies investigated the impact of earthquakes and other natural disasters. Only seven studies examined the effect of epidemics or pandemics. RESULTS The results of the studies seem inconsistent, as 16 studies found a decline in SRB, three found a rise, four did not record any change and two studies gave contradictory results. The period and population analyzed, the source of information, the method of variance analysis in the SRB, and the failure to assess confounding variables may have influenced the incongruence of the results. CONCLUSION Our findings contribute to improve the knowledge about the relationship between socio-ecological factors and SRB. Future studies should investigate the mechanisms by which this relationship impacts public health, in particular the health of pregnant women and their newborn, through an accurate and consistent methodology that also includes confounding factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lilybeth Fontanesi
- Department of Psychological, Health and Territorial Sciences, G. d'Annunzio University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Maria Cristina Verrocchio
- Department of Psychological, Health and Territorial Sciences, G. d'Annunzio University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Melissa D'Ettorre
- Department of Psychological, Health and Territorial Sciences, G. d'Annunzio University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Giulia Prete
- Department of Psychological, Health and Territorial Sciences, G. d'Annunzio University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Francesco Ceravolo
- Department of Psychological, Health and Territorial Sciences, G. d'Annunzio University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Daniela Marchetti
- Department of Psychological, Health and Territorial Sciences, G. d'Annunzio University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
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Wohlers L, Maier RF, Cuttini M, Wilson E, Benhammou V, Lebeer J, Laroche S, Sarrechia I, Petrou S, Thiele N, Zeitlin J, Aubert AM. Maternal Wellbeing Five Years after a Very Preterm Delivery: Prevalence and Influencing Factors in a European Cohort. CHILDREN (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 11:61. [PMID: 38255374 PMCID: PMC10814990 DOI: 10.3390/children11010061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2023] [Revised: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 12/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
(1) Background: Mothers of very preterm (VPT) infants may experience psychological symptoms compromising long-term emotional wellbeing. This study describes the emotional wellbeing of mothers of five-year-old children born VPT. We assess the association between sociodemographic, perinatal and neonatal characteristics, and the child's health and development at five years old and maternal emotional wellbeing. (2) Methods: Data are from the prospective European "Effective Perinatal Intensive Care in Europe" (EPICE) and subsequent "Screening for Health In very Preterm infantS in Europe" (SHIPS) projects including births <32 weeks' gestational age in 11 countries in 2011/12. Data were abstracted from obstetric and neonatal records. At five years old, 2605 mothers answered a parental questionnaire including the Mental Health Inventory-5 (MHI-5). Associations between sociodemographic and health characteristics and the mother's MHI-5 score were investigated using multilevel multivariate linear regression analysis with the country modelled as a random effect and inverse probability weighting to correct for attrition bias. (3) Results: The mean MHI-5 score was 71.3 (SD 16.7) out of 100 (highest emotional wellbeing) with a variation among countries from 63.5 (SD 16.8; Poland) to 82.3 (SD 15.8; the Netherlands). MHI-5 scores were significantly lower for mothers whose child had a severe health problem, developmental, or speech delay, for multiparous and single mothers, and when at least one of the parents was unemployed. (4) Conclusions: The emotional wellbeing of mothers of VPT infants differs between European countries. Identifying sociodemographic characteristics and child's health and developmental conditions that affect maternal emotional wellbeing may help to identify groups of mothers who need special assistance to cope with consequences of the delivery of a VPT child.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lena Wohlers
- Physiotherapy School, University Hospital of the Universities of Giessen and Marburg (UKGM), 35392 Giessen, Germany;
| | - Rolf F. Maier
- Children’s Hospital, University Hospital, Philipps University Marburg, 35033 Marburg, Germany;
| | - Marina Cuttini
- 0-3 Center for the at-Risk Infant, Scientific Institute IRCCS “Eugenio Medea”, 23842 Lecco, Italy;
| | - Emilija Wilson
- Unit of Reproductive Health, Women’s and Children’s Health, Karolinska Institutet, 17177 Stockholm, Sweden;
| | - Valérie Benhammou
- Inserm, INRAE, Centre for Research in Epidemiology and Statistics (CRESS), Obstetrical Perinatal and Pediatric Epidemiology Research Team, EPOPé, Université Paris Cité, F-75004 Paris, France; (V.B.); (J.Z.)
| | - Jo Lebeer
- Department of Medicine & Population Health, Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, 2610 Antwerp, Belgium; (J.L.); (I.S.)
| | - Sabine Laroche
- Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, University Hospital Antwerp, 2610 Antwerp, Belgium;
- Center for Developmental Disabilities, University Hospital Antwerp, 2610 Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Iemke Sarrechia
- Department of Medicine & Population Health, Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, 2610 Antwerp, Belgium; (J.L.); (I.S.)
| | - Stavros Petrou
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 2JD, UK;
| | - Nicole Thiele
- European Foundation for the Care of Newborn Infants (EFCNI), 81379 Munich, Germany;
| | - Jennifer Zeitlin
- Inserm, INRAE, Centre for Research in Epidemiology and Statistics (CRESS), Obstetrical Perinatal and Pediatric Epidemiology Research Team, EPOPé, Université Paris Cité, F-75004 Paris, France; (V.B.); (J.Z.)
| | - Adrien M. Aubert
- Inserm, INRAE, Centre for Research in Epidemiology and Statistics (CRESS), Obstetrical Perinatal and Pediatric Epidemiology Research Team, EPOPé, Université Paris Cité, F-75004 Paris, France; (V.B.); (J.Z.)
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5
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Sweeting JA, Akinyemi AA, Holman EA. Parental Preconception Adversity and Offspring Health in African Americans: A Systematic Review of Intergenerational Studies. TRAUMA, VIOLENCE & ABUSE 2023; 24:1677-1692. [PMID: 35240883 DOI: 10.1177/15248380221074320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Background: This systematic review explores the empirical literature addressing the association between parental preconception adversity and offspring physical health in African-American families. Method: We conducted a literature search in PubMed, Web of Science, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and Scopus through June 2021. Articles were included if they: reported data about at least two generations of African-American participants from the same family; measured parental preconception adversity at the individual level; measured at least one offspring physical health outcome; and examined associations between parental adversity and child health. Results: We identified 701 unique articles; thirty-eight articles representing 30 independent studies met inclusion criteria. Twenty-five studies (83%) reported that parental preconception adversity was associated with child health; six studies (20%) reported that parental preconception adversity was not associated with at least one offspring outcome; several studies reported both. Only six studies (20%) reported an association specific to African Americans. Conclusion: Empirical evidence linking parental preconception adversity with offspring physical health in African Americans is limited and mixed. In the current literature, very few studies report evidence addressing intergenerational associations between parental preconception adversity and offspring physical health in the African-American population, specifically, and even fewer investigate forms of parental preconception adversity that have been shown to disproportionately affect African Americans (e.g., racism). To better understand root causes of racial health disparities, more rigorous systematic research is needed to address how intergenerational transmission of historical and ongoing race-based trauma may impact offspring health among African Americans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josiah A Sweeting
- Department of Psychological Science, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Adebisi A Akinyemi
- Department of Psychological Science, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Ellen Alison Holman
- Department of Psychological Science, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
- Sue & Bill Gross School of Nursing, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
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6
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Rinne GR, Hartstein J, Guardino CM, Dunkel Schetter C. Stress before conception and during pregnancy and maternal cortisol during pregnancy: A scoping review. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2023; 153:106115. [PMID: 37119659 PMCID: PMC10936734 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2023.106115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Revised: 04/10/2023] [Accepted: 04/16/2023] [Indexed: 05/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Stress before conception and during pregnancy is associated with less favorable maternal and child health. Alterations in prenatal cortisol levels may serve as a central biological pathway linking stress to adverse maternal and child health. Research examining associations between maternal stress from childhood through pregnancy and prenatal cortisol has not been comprehensively reviewed. METHOD The current scoping review of 48 papers synthesizes studies reporting on associations between stress before conception and during pregnancy with maternal cortisol in pregnancy. Eligible studies measured childhood, the proximal preconception period, pregnancy, or lifetime stress based on stress exposures or appraisals and measured cortisol in saliva or hair during pregnancy. RESULTS Higher maternal childhood stress was associated with higher cortisol awakening responses and alterations in typical pregnancy-specific changes in diurnal cortisol patterns across studies. In contrast, most studies of preconception and prenatal stress reported null associations with cortisol and those reporting significant effects were inconsistent in direction. A few studies found that the associations between stress and cortisol during pregnancy varied as a function of several moderators including social support and environmental pollution. CONCLUSIONS Although many studies have evaluated effects of maternal stress on prenatal cortisol, this scoping review is the first to synthesize existing literature on this topic. The association between stress before conception and during pregnancy and prenatal cortisol may depend on the developmental timing of stress and several moderators. Maternal childhood stress was more consistently associated with prenatal cortisol than proximal preconception or pregnancy stress. We discuss methodological and analytic factors that may contribute to mixed findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabrielle R Rinne
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | - Jenna Hartstein
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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7
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Swales DA, Davis EP, Mahrer NE, Guardino CM, Shalowitz MU, Ramey SL, Schetter CD. Preconception maternal posttraumatic stress and child negative affectivity: Prospectively evaluating the intergenerational impact of trauma. Dev Psychopathol 2023; 35:619-629. [PMID: 35074031 PMCID: PMC9309186 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579421001760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
The developmental origins of psychopathology begin before birth and perhaps even prior to conception. Understanding the intergenerational transmission of psychopathological risk is critical to identify sensitive windows for prevention and early intervention. Prior research demonstrates that maternal trauma history, typically assessed retrospectively, has adverse consequences for child socioemotional development. However, very few prospective studies of preconception trauma exist, and the role of preconception symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) remains unknown. The current study prospectively evaluates whether maternal preconception PTSD symptoms predict early childhood negative affectivity, a key dimension of temperament and predictor of later psychopathology. One hundred and eighteen women were recruited following a birth and prior to conception of the study child and were followed until the study child was 3-5 years old. Higher maternal PTSD symptoms prior to conception predicted greater child negative affectivity, adjusting for concurrent maternal depressive symptoms and sociodemographic covariates. In exploratory analyses, we found that neither maternal prenatal nor postpartum depressive symptoms or perceived stress mediated this association. These findings add to a limited prospective literature, highlighting the importance of assessing the mental health of women prior to conception and providing interventions that can disrupt the intergenerational sequelae of trauma.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Elysia Poggi Davis
- Department of Psychology, University of Denver, Denver, CO
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA
| | | | | | - Madeleine U. Shalowitz
- Department of Pediatrics, NorthShore University HealthSystem Research Institute, Evanston, IL
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8
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Hipwell AE, Fu H, Tung I, Stiller A, Keenan K. Preconception stress exposure from childhood to adolescence and birth outcomes: The impact of stress type, severity and consistency. FRONTIERS IN REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH 2023; 4:1007788. [PMID: 36713849 PMCID: PMC9876597 DOI: 10.3389/frph.2022.1007788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The negative effects of prenatal stress on offspring health are well established, but there remains little understanding of the influence of stress prior to conception despite known effects on biological systems that are important for a healthy pregnancy. Furthermore, operational definitions of stress vary considerably, and exposure is often characterized via summed, ordinal scales of events. We hypothesized that type, severity, and consistency of preconception stress would be associated with birthweight and gestational age (GA) at birth. Data were drawn from a subsample of participants in the 21-year longitudinal Pittsburgh Girls Study (PGS, N = 2,450) that has followed women annually since childhood. Prior work in the PGS derived three domains of stress exposure between ages 7-17 years related to subsistence (e.g., resource strain, overcrowding), safety (e.g., community violence, inter-adult aggression), and caregiving (e.g., separation, maternal depression). We tested the effects of dimensions of preconception stress on birthweight and GA among offspring of 490 PGS participants who delivered at age 18 or older (n = 490; 76% Black, 20% White, 4% Multiracial). Our hypotheses were partially supported with results varying by stress type and severity and by infant sex. Severity of preconception exposure to subsistence stress was prospectively associated with lower offspring birthweight (B = -146.94, SE = 69.07, 95% CI = -282.66, -11.22). The association between severity of caregiving stress in childhood and adolescence and GA at birth was moderated by infant sex (B = 0.85, SE = .41, 95% CI = 0.04, 1.66), suggesting greater vulnerability to this type of stress for male compared to female infants. Exposure to safety stressors did not predict birth outcomes. Infants of Black compared with White mothers had lower birthweight in all models regardless of preconception stress type, severity or consistency. However, we observed no moderating effects of race on preconception stress-birth outcome associations. Demonstrating specificity of associations between preconception stress exposure and prenatal health has the potential to inform preventive interventions targeting profiles of exposure to optimize birth outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison E. Hipwell
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Haoyi Fu
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Irene Tung
- Department of Psychology, California State University Dominguez Hills, Carson, CA, United States
| | - Ashley Stiller
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Kate Keenan
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
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9
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Guardino CM, Rahal D, Rinne GR, Mahrer NE, Davis EP, Adam EK, Shalowitz MU, Ramey SL, Schetter CD. Maternal stress and mental health before pregnancy and offspring diurnal cortisol in early childhood. Dev Psychobiol 2022; 64:e22314. [PMID: 36282760 PMCID: PMC10111814 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2022] [Revised: 07/01/2022] [Accepted: 07/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
The current study investigates whether prepregnancy maternal posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, depressive symptoms, and stress predict children's cortisol diurnal slopes and cortisol awakening responses (CARs) adjusting for relevant variables. Mothers were enrolled after delivering a baby and followed through their subsequent pregnancy with 5 years of longitudinal data on their subsequent child. This prospective design allowed assessment of PTSD symptoms, depressive symptoms, and perceived stress prior to pregnancy. Children provided three saliva samples per day on three consecutive days at two timepoints in early childhood (M age = 3.7 years, SD = 0.38; M age = 5.04 years, SD = 0.43). Mothers' PTSD symptoms prior to pregnancy were significantly associated with flatter child diurnal cortisol slopes at 4 and 5 years, but not with child CAR. Findings at the age of 4 years, but not 5 years, remained statistically significant after adjustment for maternal socioeconomic status, race/ethnicity, child age, and other covariates. In contrast, maternal prepregnancy depressive symptoms and perceived stress did not significantly predict cortisol slopes or CAR. Results suggest that maternal prepregnancy PTSD symptoms may contribute to variation in early childhood physiology. This study extends earlier work demonstrating risk of adverse outcomes among children whose mothers experienced trauma but associations cannot be disentangled from effects of prenatal mental health of mothers on children's early childhood.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Danny Rahal
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Gabrielle R Rinne
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Nicole E Mahrer
- Psychology Department, University of La Verne, La Verne, California, USA
| | - Elysia Poggi Davis
- Department of Psychology, University of Denver, Denver, Colorado, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California, USA
| | - Emma K Adam
- School of Education and Social Policy and Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
| | - Madeleine U Shalowitz
- Department of Pediatrics, NorthShore University HealthSystem Research Institute, Evanston, Illinois, USA
| | - Sharon L Ramey
- Department of Psychology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA
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Hailu EM, Maddali SR, Snowden JM, Carmichael SL, Mujahid MS. Structural racism and adverse maternal health outcomes: A systematic review. Health Place 2022; 78:102923. [PMID: 36401939 PMCID: PMC11216026 DOI: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2022.102923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Revised: 08/19/2022] [Accepted: 09/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
In the United States, racial disparities in adverse maternal health outcomes remain a pressing issue, with Black women experiencing a 3-4 times higher risk of maternal mortality and a 2-3 times higher risk of severe maternal morbidity. Despite recent encouraging efforts, fundamental determinants of these alarming inequities (e.g. structural racism) remain understudied. Approaches that address these structural drivers are needed to then intervene upon root causes of adverse maternal outcomes and their disparities and to ultimately improve maternal health across the U.S. In this paper, we offer a conceptual framework for studies of structural racism and maternal health disparities and systematically synthesize the current empirical epidemiologic literature on the links between structural racism measures and adverse maternal health outcomes. For the systematic review, we searched electronic databases (Pubmed, Web of Science, and EMBASE) to identify peer-reviewed U.S. based quantitative articles published between 1990 and 2021 that assessed the link between measures of structural racism and indicators of maternal morbidity/mortality. Our search yielded 2394 studies and after removing duplicates, 1408 were included in the title and abstract screening, of which 18 were included in the full text screening. Only 6 studies met all the specified inclusion criteria for this review. Results revealed that depending on population sub-group analyzed, measures used, and covariates considered, there was evidence that structural racism may increase the risk of adverse maternal health outcomes. This review also highlighted several areas for methodological and theoretical development in this body of work. Future work should more comprehensively assess structural racism in a way that informs policy and interventions, which can ameliorate its negative consequences on racial/ethnic disparities in maternal morbidity/mortality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elleni M Hailu
- Division of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of California, 2121 Berkeley Way, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA.
| | - Sai Ramya Maddali
- Interdisciplinary Division, School of Public Health, University of California, 2121 Berkeley Way, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Jonathan M Snowden
- School of Public Health, Oregon Health & Science University-Portland State University, 1805 SW 4th Ave #623T, Portland, OR, 97201, USA
| | - Suzan L Carmichael
- Division of Neonatal & Developmental Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine and Obstetrics, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Stanford University School of Medicine, 3145 Porter Drive #A103, Palo Alto, CA, 94304, USA
| | - Mahasin S Mujahid
- Division of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of California, 2121 Berkeley Way, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
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11
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Hines AL, Zare H, Thorpe RJ. Racial Disparities in Hypertension Among Young, Black and White Women. J Gen Intern Med 2022; 37:2123-2125. [PMID: 34472018 PMCID: PMC9198146 DOI: 10.1007/s11606-021-07073-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2021] [Accepted: 07/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Anika L Hines
- Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, USA.
| | - Hossein Zare
- Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Roland J Thorpe
- Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
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12
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Effects of maternal exposure to acute stress on birth outcomes: a quasi-experiment study. J Dev Orig Health Dis 2021; 13:471-482. [PMID: 34937600 DOI: 10.1017/s2040174421000611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Numerous studies have shown associations between maternal stress and poor birth outcomes, but evidence is unclear for causal inference. Natural disasters provide an opportunity to study effects of quasi-randomized hardship with an accurate measure of onset and duration. In a population-based quasi-experimental study, we examined the effect of maternal exposure to the January 1998 Québec ice storm on birth outcomes by comparing pregnant mothers who lived in an area hard hit by the ice storm with those in two unaffected regions. In a total of 147,349 singleton births between 1995 and 2001, we used a difference-in-differences method to estimate the effects of the ice storm on gestational age at delivery (GA), preterm birth (PTB), weight-for-gestational-age z-scores (BWZ), large for gestational age (LGA), and small for gestational age (SGA). After adjusting for maternal and sociodemographic characteristics, there were no differences between the exposed and the unexposed mothers for birth outcomes. The estimated differences (exposed vs. unexposed) were 0.01 SDs (95% CI: -0.02, 0.05) for BWZ; 0.10% point (95% CI: -0.95%, 1.16%) for SGA; 0.25% point (95% CI: -0.78%, 1.28%) for LGA; -0.01 week (95% CI: -0.07, 0.05) for GA; and 0.16% point (95% CI: -0.66%, 0.97%) for PTB. Neither trimester-specific nor dose-response associations were observed. Overall, exposure to the 1998 Québec ice storm as a proxy for acute maternal stress in pregnancy was not associated with poor birth outcomes. Our results suggest that acute maternal hardship may not have a substantial effect on adverse birth outcomes.
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Preis H, Mahaffey B, Pati S, Heiselman C, Lobel M. Adverse Perinatal Outcomes Predicted by Prenatal Maternal Stress Among U.S. Women at the COVID-19 Pandemic Onset. Ann Behav Med 2021; 55:179-191. [PMID: 33724334 PMCID: PMC7980766 DOI: 10.1093/abm/kaab005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND High stress prenatally contributes to poor maternal and infant well-being. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has created substantial stress for pregnant women. PURPOSE To understand whether stress experienced by women pregnant at the beginning of the pandemic was associated with a greater prevalence of adverse perinatal outcomes. METHODS Pregnant women across the USA aged ≥18 years old enrolled in a prospective cohort study during the pandemic onset (T1) in April-May 2020. This report focuses on the 1,367 participants who gave birth prior to July-August 2020 (T2). Hierarchical logistic regression models predicted preterm birth, small for gestational age infants, and unplanned operative delivery from T1 stress, sociodemographic, and medical factors. RESULTS After controlling for sociodemographic and medical factors, preterm birth was predicted by high prenatal maternal stress, delivering an infant small for gestational age was predicted by interpersonal violence and by stress related to being unprepared for birth due to the pandemic, and unplanned cesarean or operative vaginal delivery was predicted by prenatal appointment alterations, experiencing a major stressful life event, and by stress related to being unprepared for birth due to the pandemic. Independent of these associations, African American women were more likely than other groups to deliver preterm. CONCLUSION Pregnant women who are experiencing high stress during the COVID-19 pandemic are at risk of poorer perinatal outcomes. A longitudinal investigation is critical to determine whether prenatal maternal stress and resulting outcomes have longer-term consequences for the health and well-being of children born in the midst of the current pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heidi Preis
- Department of Psychology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - Brittain Mahaffey
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - Susmita Pati
- Department of Pediatrics, Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - Cassandra Heiselman
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Medicine, Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - Marci Lobel
- Department of Psychology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
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