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Adverse Prenatal, Perinatal and Neonatal Experiences in Children with Anxiety Disorders

Carly Johnco1, Adam B Lewin2,3,4, Alison Salloum5

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA. cjohnco@health.usf.edu.

Child Psychiatry and Human Development
|July 25, 2015
PubMed

Insights

Children with anxiety disorders show higher rates of adverse prenatal and neonatal experiences, including maternal medication use and neonatal complications. These factors are linked to symptom severity and functional impairment in anxious youth.

Area of Science:

  • Child Psychology
  • Developmental Pediatrics
  • Psychiatric Epidemiology

Background:

  • Anxiety disorders in children are a significant public health concern.
  • Understanding the etiology of childhood anxiety is crucial for effective intervention.
  • Prenatal, perinatal, and neonatal factors may play a role in anxiety development.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the incidence of adverse prenatal, perinatal, and neonatal experiences in children with primary anxiety disorders.
  • To examine the relationship between these early life experiences and clinical symptomology.
  • To explore the association with functional impairment in treatment-seeking anxious children.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective examination of treatment-seeking children (N=107) with primary anxiety disorders.
  • Comparison of adverse experience rates against population base rates and non-affected children.
  • Statistical analysis to identify associations between neonatal complications and clinical outcomes.

Main Results:

  • Anxious children exhibited increased rates of maternal prescription medication use, smoking, and illness during pregnancy.
  • Higher incidence of neonatal complications, including NICU admission and feeding issues, was observed.
  • Significant associations were found between neonatal complications and ADHD, depressive comorbidity, anxiety severity, and functional impairment.

Conclusions:

  • Children with anxiety disorders demonstrate a higher prevalence of adverse prenatal and perinatal complications.
  • Neonatal complications are associated with increased symptom severity, comorbidity, and functional impairment.
  • These findings highlight the importance of considering early life adversities in the context of childhood anxiety.

Keywords:
AnxietyChildNeonatalObstetricPerinatalPrenatal

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