Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 6, 2026

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
[Psychological factors during pregnancy correlated with infant low birth weigh]
1Zaklad Psychologii Klinicznej Dziecka i Rodziny Wydzialu Psychologii Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego. milena@psych.uw.edu.pl
Introduction:
Contemporary researches state that the child's mental development depends on the quality of its relations with mother starting from pregnancy. They point to those elements of maternal functioning which decide about the child functioning in various dimensions and play a role in the mother-child interaction. One of them is emotional state of the mother during pregnancy.
The Aim Of The Study:
To demonstrate psychological factors which are correlated with infant low birth weight.
Results:
Contemporary researches state that the infant low birth weight depends on the mother's mood during pregnancy. Women, frequently suffering from negative emotions, who experience high level of anxiety and depression, influence the infant's biological development (e.g. infant low birth weight) and shape features of its temperament (level of arousal, low level of activity, discontentedness, erethism). As a result, the born infant is not only smaller and less active but it is also difficult to take care of it. It often cries, the mother cannot calm it down, which is the reason for disregulation of a mother-infant relationship
Conclusions:
Maternal negative emotions experienced during pregnancy are related to the risk of pathological changes in the foetus. Depressive disorder and high level of anxiety are an indication for psychotherapy of the pregnant women. Psychological intervention can prevent from disturbances of infant's development and the mother-infant relation.
Related Concept Videos
Regression Toward the Mean
Anorexia Nervosa
Symptoms and Physical Effects
Individuals with anorexia nervosa commonly exhibit extreme...
Environmental Influences on Intelligence
Socioemotional Development during Infancy
Primary Temperament Types
Stella Chess...
Depressive Disorders: Etiology
Biological Factors in Depression
Biological predispositions significantly influence the risk of developing depressive disorders. Genetic studies highlight the role of variations in the serotonin transporter...
Cause and Effect
