title: Maternal psychological distress during pregnancy does not increase the risk for adverse birth outcomes.
abstract: Maternal psychological distress during pregnancy is a potential risk factor for various birth complications. This study aimed to explore psychological factors associated with adverse birth outcomes. Symptoms of psychological distress, individual characteristics, and medical complications were assessed at two time points antenatally in 285 women from Australia and New Zealand; birth outcomes were assessed postpartum, between January 2014 and September 2015. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses were conducted to examine the relation of psychological distress to adverse birth outcomes. Medical complications during pregnancy, such as serious infections, placental problems and preeclampsia, and antenatal cannabis use, were the factors most strongly associated with adverse birth outcomes, accounting for 22 percent of the total variance (p < .001). Symptoms of depression and/or anxiety, low social support, and low sense of coherence were not associated with birth complications. In unadjusted analyses, self-reported diagnosis of anxiety disorder during pregnancy and an orientation toward a Regulator mothering style were associated with adverse birth outcomes; however, after controlling for medical complications, these were no longer associated. Our study results indicate that antenatal depressive and/or anxiety symptoms were not independently associated with adverse birth outcomes, a reassuring finding for women who are already psychologically vulnerable during pregnancy.
authors.affiliation: a The School of Psychology , The University of Queensland , Brisbane , Queensland , Australia.
authors.forename: Aleksandra A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Staneva
authors.affiliation: a The School of Psychology , The University of Queensland , Brisbane , Queensland , Australia.
authors.forename: Alina
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Morawska
authors.affiliation: b The School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work , The University of Queensland , Brisbane , Queensland , Australia.
authors.forename: Fiona
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bogossian
authors.affiliation: c Department of Psychology , University of Manchester , Manchester , UK.
authors.forename: Anja
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wittkowski
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology; D001315:Australia; D003863:Depression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D009520:New Zealand; D007744:Obstetric Labor Complications / Q000523:psychology*; D036801:Parturition / Q000523:psychology*; D049590:Postpartum Period / Q000523:psychology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000523:psychology*; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D012307:Risk Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological
keywords: Adverse birth outcomes; antenatal psychological distress; pregnancy