Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 13, 2026

Generating a Reproducible Model of Mid-Gestational Maternal Immune Activation using Poly(I:C) to Study Susceptibility and Resilience in Offspring
09:09

Generating a Reproducible Model of Mid-Gestational Maternal Immune Activation using Poly(I:C) to Study Susceptibility and Resilience in Offspring

Published on: August 17, 2022

Prenatal maternal anxiety predicts reduced adaptive immunity in infants

Thomas G O'Connor1, Marcia A Winter, Julianne Hunn

  • 1Department of Psychiatry, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA. Tom_OConnor@URMC.Rochester.edu

Brain, Behavior, and Immunity
|February 27, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Prenatal maternal anxiety in humans is linked to altered infant adaptive immunity. Maternal anxiety predicted lower hepatitis B antibody levels and changes in immune cell responses at 6 months of age.

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Maternal Health

Background:

  • Animal studies suggest prenatal stress impacts offspring immunity.
  • Human relevance of prenatal anxiety on infant immune development remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate prenatal maternal anxiety as a predictor of infant adaptive immune responses.
  • To assess humoral and cell-mediated immunity at 2 and 6 months postnatally.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective longitudinal study of maternal anxiety and infant immunity.
  • Assessed humoral immunity via hepatitis B antibody titers.
  • Evaluated cell-mediated immunity using ELISpot assays for IFN-γ, IL-2, and IL-4.

Main Results:

  • Prenatal anxiety predicted lower hepatitis B antibody titers at 6 months (in unvaccinated infants).
  • Maternal anxiety associated with reduced IFN-γ and increased IL-4 responses at 6 months.
  • No significant effects of prenatal anxiety on infant immunity were observed at 2 months.

Conclusions:

  • This study provides the first human evidence that prenatal anxiety can alter infant adaptive immunity.
  • Prenatal anxiety may have lasting effects on immune system development.
  • Further research is needed to understand the mechanisms and long-term implications.

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