Screening antenatal anxiety: Predicting its effect on fetal growth

Area of Science:

• Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Maternal-Fetal Medicine
• Psychiatry

Background:

• Maternal anxiety is linked to low birth weight, but its specific impact on fetal growth requires further investigation.
• Limited research exists on the association between maternal anxiety and fetal growth parameters.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the effect of maternal anxiety on fetal growth, specifically the gestational age-dependent increase in abdominal circumference (AC).
• To assess the impact of maternal anxiety on other fetal biometry measurements, including biparietal diameter (BPD), head circumference (HC), and femur length (FL).

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 410 pregnant mothers (14-40 weeks gestation) in Kolkata.
• Anxiety was assessed using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD) questionnaire.
• Fetal parameters (HC, AC, BPD, FL) were measured via ultrasound biometry; multivariable logistic regression and mediation analysis were employed.

Main Results:

• Mild and moderate maternal anxiety showed a significant association with small-for-gestational-age (SGA) fetuses (Adjusted ORs 6.23 and 22.42, respectively).
• Anxiety severity increased with gestational progression (β_GAD: 0.011).
• Maternal anxiety exerted a negative, gestational age-dependent effect on fetal AC (standardized indirect effect: -0.037) and attenuated HC growth.

Conclusions:

• Maternal anxiety exerts a temporally incremental negative effect on fetal growth.
• The findings suggest a detrimental impact of maternal anxiety on fetal development, including brain growth, which is dependent on gestational age.