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Post-traumatic stress disorder, child abuse history, birthweight and gestational age: a prospective cohort study

J S Seng1, L K Low, M Sperlich

  • 1Institute for Research on Women and Gender, School of Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA. jseng@umich.edu

BJOG : an International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology
|July 28, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Prenatal post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is linked to lower birthweight and shorter gestation. Childhood abuse-related PTSD significantly increases these adverse perinatal outcomes.

Area of Science:

  • Perinatal health
  • Psychiatry
  • Reproductive health

Background:

  • Prenatal exposure to trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can impact pregnancy outcomes.
  • Childhood maltreatment is a significant risk factor for developing PTSD later in life.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between prenatal post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and adverse perinatal outcomes, specifically birthweight and gestational age.
  • To examine the role of childhood maltreatment as a precursor to PTSD and its influence on these outcomes.

Main Methods:

  • A prospective three-cohort study involving 839 diverse nulliparas.
  • Data collected via telephone interviews (trauma history, PTSD, depression, substance use) and chart abstraction (medical history, prenatal care).
  • Infant birthweight and gestational age were the primary outcome measures.

Main Results:

  • Infants born to mothers with prenatal PTSD had significantly lower birthweights compared to infants of trauma-exposed resilient mothers and non-exposed mothers.
  • Prenatal PTSD was associated with shorter gestation, even after accounting for childhood abuse history.
  • PTSD following childhood abuse demonstrated the strongest association with adverse perinatal outcomes, surpassing African American race as a predictor for shorter gestation.

Conclusions:

  • Abuse-related PTSD may contribute to adverse perinatal outcomes, offering an alternative explanation to factors like low socioeconomic status and race.
  • Further research is recommended, including biological and intervention studies, along with cross-national replication.
Abstract

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