title: Maternal Prenatal Positive Affect, Depressive and Anxiety Symptoms and Birth Outcomes: The PREDO Study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We investigated whether maternal prenatal emotions are associated with gestational length and birth weight in the large PREDO Study with multiple measurement points of emotions during gestation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Altogether 3376 pregnant women self-assessed their positive affect (PA, Positive and Negative Affect Schedule) and depressive (Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, CES-D) and anxiety (Spielberger State Anxiety Scale, STAI) symptoms up to 14 times during gestation. Birth characteristics were derived from the National Birth Register and from medical records.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One standard deviation (SD) unit higher PA during the third pregnancy trimester was associated with a 0.05 SD unit longer gestational length, whereas one SD unit higher CES-D and STAI scores during the third trimester were associated with 0.04-0.05 SD unit shorter gestational lengths (P-values ≤ 0.02), corresponding to only 0.1-0.2% of the variation in gestational length. Higher PA during the third trimester was associated with a significantly decreased risk for preterm (< 37 weeks) delivery (for each SD unit higher positive affect, odds ratio was 0.8-fold (P = 0.02). Mothers with preterm delivery showed a decline in PA and an increase in CES-D and STAI during eight weeks prior to delivery. Post-term birth (≥ 42 weeks), birth weight and fetal growth were not associated with maternal prenatal emotions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study with 14 measurements of maternal emotions during pregnancy show modest effects of prenatal emotions during the third pregnancy trimester, particularly in the weeks close to delivery, on gestational length. From the clinical perspective, the effects were negligible. No associations were detected between prenatal emotions and birth weight.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Behavioral Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Anu-Katriina
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Pesonen
authors.affiliation: Institute of Behavioral Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Marius
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lahti
authors.affiliation: Institute of Behavioral Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Tiina
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kuusinen
authors.affiliation: Institute of Behavioral Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Soile
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tuovinen
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Pia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Villa
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Chemistry, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.|HUSLAB, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Esa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hämäläinen
authors.affiliation: Medical Genetics, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland.|Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland.|Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Hannele
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Laivuori
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland.|Children's Hospital, Helsinki University Central Hospital and University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.|Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Oulu University Hospital and University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.
authors.forename: Eero
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kajantie
authors.affiliation: Institute of Behavioral Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Katri
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Räikkönen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect / Q000502:physiology*; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology*; D001724:Birth Weight / Q000502:physiology*; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000523:psychology*; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D037841:Pregnant People / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult