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Updated: Jun 21, 2026
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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
Maternal psychological distress and fetal growth trajectories: the Generation R Study
J Henrichs1, J J Schenk, S J Roza
1Institute of Psychology, Erasmus University Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Psychological Medicine
|August 7, 2009
Summary
Maternal psychological distress, including anxiety and depression, during pregnancy can negatively impact fetal growth. This study found impaired fetal weight gain and head/abdominal growth in late pregnancy linked to maternal distress.
Area of Science:
- Obstetrics and Gynecology
- Perinatal Psychology
- Developmental Biology
Background:
- Maternal psychological distress during pregnancy is a potential risk factor for adverse birth outcomes.
- Previous research has yielded inconsistent findings regarding the impact of maternal distress on fetal development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between maternal psychological distress and fetal growth from mid-pregnancy to birth.
- To determine if maternal anxiety and depressive symptoms affect fetal size and growth patterns.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 6313 pregnant women reported psychological distress using validated questionnaires at mid-pregnancy.
- Fetal growth was assessed via ultrasound measurements (head circumference, abdominal circumference, femur length) in mid- and late pregnancy.
- Multilevel models were used to analyze the relationship between maternal distress and fetal growth curves.
Main Results:
- Maternal distress was not significantly linked to fetal size in mid-pregnancy.
- In late pregnancy, anxious symptoms were associated with smaller fetal size and lower birth weight.
- Maternal anxiety and depressive symptoms were linked to impaired fetal weight gain and reduced fetal head and abdominal growth.
Conclusions:
- Maternal psychological distress, particularly anxiety, affects fetal growth patterns starting in mid-pregnancy.
- Prenatal anxiety is associated with impaired fetal growth trajectories.
- Further research is needed to explore biological mechanisms and the efficacy of interventions to reduce maternal distress during pregnancy.
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