title: Maternal stress and pregnancy outcomes in a prenatal clinic population.
abstract: A two-fold decrease in the incidence of infant low birth weight, from 20.6% to 8.3%, occurred in Africa American women enrolled from 1985 to 1988 in this interdisciplinary research project conducted in an urban prenatal clinic. Nutritional, biochemical, medical, psychosocial, lifestyle, and environmental data were collected by trained Africa American interviewers. Several instruments were administered to the mother to specify the stress construct and assess body image, the social support network, and other psychosocial variables. The reduction in the incidence of low birth weight in an urban Africa American low income population admitted to the Howard University Hospital is attributed to the mediation of maternal stress by project personnel, in effect, providing an additional support system through the caring, sensitive environment provided by the project clinical staff, who met the women at each of their clinic-scheduled appointments. Women with a positive self attitude and higher self esteem were more likely to be delivered infants at term; the number of persons in the mother's social support network was directly correlated with her infant's gestational age. Maternal serum concentrations of the antioxidant vitamins, vitamin E and ascorbic acid, and the free radical scavenger, uric acid, were significantly correlated with serum folate and blood urea nitrogen. An hypothesis of low birth weight is presented.
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Howard University, Washington, D.C. 20059.
authors.forename: C H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Edwards
authors.forename: O J
authors.initials: OJ
authors.lastname: Cole
authors.forename: U J
authors.initials: UJ
authors.lastname: Oyemade
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Knight
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: O E
authors.initials: OE
authors.lastname: Westney
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Laryea
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: West
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: L S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Westney
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000097:blood; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004219:District of Columbia / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008019:Life Style; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D009752:Nutritional Status; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology; D011295:Prenatal Care; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012649:Self Concept; D012944:Social Support; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D014527:Uric Acid / Q000097:blood; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000097:blood; D015032:Zinc / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D014810:Vitamin E; D014527:Uric Acid; D015032:Zinc; D001205:Ascorbic Acid