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Updated: Jul 8, 2026

Using a Murine Model of Psychosocial Stress in Pregnancy as a Translationally Relevant Paradigm for Psychiatric Disorders in Mothers and Infants
06:39

Using a Murine Model of Psychosocial Stress in Pregnancy as a Translationally Relevant Paradigm for Psychiatric Disorders in Mothers and Infants

Published on: June 13, 2021

Relation of maternal stress during pregnancy to symptom severity and response to treatment in children with ADHD

Natalie Grizenko1, Yasaman Rajabieh Shayan, Anna Polotskaia

  • 1Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montréal, Canada. grinat@douglas.mcgill.ca

Journal of Psychiatry & Neuroscience : JPN
|January 17, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Maternal stress during pregnancy is linked to more severe attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms in children. Minimizing prenatal stress is crucial for better child behavioral outcomes.

Area of Science:

  • Child Psychiatry
  • Neurodevelopmental Disorders
  • Prenatal Psychology

Background:

  • Maternal stress during pregnancy is a known risk factor for offspring behavioral disturbances.
  • Existing research suggests a link between prenatal stress and various developmental issues in children.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between the severity of maternal stress during pregnancy and the severity of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms in offspring.
  • To determine if maternal stress influences children's response to methylphenidate (MPH) treatment.

Main Methods:

  • 203 children (6-12 years) with ADHD were assessed for maternal prenatal stress using the Kinney Medical and Gynecological Questionnaire.
  • Symptom severity was evaluated using the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and Conners' Global Index (CGI-P/T).
  • Response to methylphenidate (MPH) was assessed via a double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover trial.

Main Results:

  • Children exposed to moderate prenatal stress showed the most severe symptoms on the CBCL (p < 0.002).
  • Severe prenatal stress was associated with the most severe emotional liability symptoms on the CGI-P (p < 0.029).
  • No significant difference was found in the degree of response to MPH based on the level of maternal stress.

Conclusions:

  • Children with ADHD whose mothers experienced moderate to severe prenatal stress tend to exhibit more severe ADHD symptoms.
  • These findings underscore the importance of minimizing stress in pregnant women to potentially improve child behavioral outcomes.
  • Prenatal stress may exacerbate ADHD symptom severity, independent of treatment response to MPH.
Abstract

Keywords:
attention deficit disorder with hyperactivitymethylphenidatepregnancystress

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