Maternal stress and affect influence fetal neurobehavioral development.
The authors investigated the association between maternal psychological and fetal neurobehavioral functioning. Data were provided by 52 maternal-fetal pairs at 24, 30, and 36 weeks gestation. The relations between maternal measures and fetal heart rate, variability, and motor activity were statistically modeled. Fetuses of women who were more affectively intense, appraised their lives as more stressful, and reported more frequent pregnancy-specific hassles were more active across gestation. Fetuses of women who perceived their pregnancy to be more intensely and frequently uplifting and had positive emotional valence toward pregnancy were less active. Associations with fetal heart-rate measures were detected at 36 weeks gestation. These data provide evidence for proximal effects of maternal psychological functioning on fetal neurobehavior.
DiPietro
Janet A
JA
Department of Population and Family Health Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, USA. jdipietr@jhsph.edu
Hilton
Sterling C
SC
Hawkins
Melissa
M
Costigan
Kathleen A
KA
Pressman
Eva K
EK
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D004522:Educational Status; D005314:Embryonic and Fetal Development; D005260:Female; D005324:Fetal Movement / Q000502:physiology; D005865:Gestational Age; D006340:Heart Rate, Fetal / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008423:Maternal Age; D009420:Nervous System / Q000196:embryology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000523:psychology*; D011581:Psychological Tests; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000523:psychology*