Pregnancy anxiety and prenatal cortisol trajectories.
Pregnancy anxiety is a potent predictor of adverse birth and infant outcomes. The goal of the current study was to examine one potential mechanism whereby these effects may occur by testing associations between pregnancy anxiety and maternal salivary cortisol on 4 occasions during pregnancy in a sample of 448 women. Higher mean levels of pregnancy anxiety over the course of pregnancy predicted steeper increases in cortisol trajectories compared to lower pregnancy anxiety. Significant differences between cortisol trajectories emerged between 30 and 31 weeks of gestation. Results remained significant when adjusted for state anxiety and perceived stress. Neither changes in pregnancy anxiety over gestation, nor pregnancy anxiety specific to only a particular time in pregnancy predicted cortisol. These findings provide support for one way in which pregnancy anxiety may influence maternal physiology and contribute to a growing literature on the complex biological pathways linking pregnancy anxiety to birth and infant outcomes.
Department of Psychology, University of California Los Angeles, 1285 Franz Hall Box 951563, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1563, USA. Electronic address: heidi.kane@utdallas.edu.
Heidi S
HS
Kane
Department of Psychology, University of California Los Angeles, 1285 Franz Hall Box 951563, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1563, USA.
Christine
C
Dunkel Schetter
Department of Psychology, Crean School of Health and Life Sciences, Chapman University, One University Drive, Orange, CA 92866, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of California Irvine, Early Human and Lifespan Development Program, One University Drive, Orange, CA 92866, USA.
Laura M
LM
Glynn
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 8700 Beverly Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, 10833 Le Conte Avenue, 27-117 CHS, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1740, USA.
Calvin J
CJ
Hobel
Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of California Irvine, Early Human and Lifespan Development Program, One University Drive, Orange, CA 92866, USA.
Curt A
CA
Sandman
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000378:metabolism*; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000523:psychology*; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D012463:Saliva / Q000378:metabolism; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
D006854:Hydrocortisone
Anxiety; Cortisol; Hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis; Perceived stress; Pregnancy; Pregnancy anxiety