title: Prenatal stress and balance of the child's cardiac autonomic nervous system at age 5-6 years.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Autonomic nervous system (ANS) misbalance is a potential causal factor in the development of cardiovascular disease. The ANS may be programmed during pregnancy due to various maternal factors. Our aim is to study maternal prenatal psychosocial stress as a potential disruptor of cardiac ANS balance in the child.
  
  
  METHODS
  Mothers from a prospective birth cohort (ABCD study) filled out a questionnaire at gestational week 16 [IQR 12-20], that included validated instruments for state anxiety, depressive symptoms, pregnancy-related anxiety, parenting daily hassles and job strain. A cumulative stress score was also calculated (based on 80(th) percentiles). Indicators of cardiac ANS in the offspring at age 5-6 years are: pre-ejection period (PEP), heart rate (HR), respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) and cardiac autonomic balance (CAB), measured with electrocardiography and impedance cardiography in resting supine and sitting positions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  2,624 mother-child pairs, only single births, were available for analysis. The stress scales were not significantly associated with HR, PEP, RSA and CAB (p≥0.17). Accumulation of maternal stress was also not associated with HR, PEP, RSA and CAB (p≥0.07).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results did not support the hypothesis that prenatal maternal psychosocial stress deregulates cardiac ANS balance in the offspring, at least in rest, and at the age of five-six years.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Academic Medical Center-University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. a.e.vandijk@amc.uva.nl
authors.forename: Aimée E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: van Dijk
authors.forename: Manon
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: van Eijsden
authors.forename: Karien
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Stronks
authors.forename: Reinoud J B J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Gemke
authors.forename: Tanja G M
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Vrijkotte
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D001146:Arrhythmia, Sinus; D001341:Autonomic Nervous System / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002307:Cardiography, Impedance; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D016487:Parenting / Q000523:psychology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012044:Regression Analysis; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires