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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
Maternal prenatal anxiety trajectories and infant developmental outcomes in one-year-old offspring
Jessica L Irwin1, Elysia Poggi Davis2, Calvin J Hobel3
1University of La Verne, Department of Psychology, United States; University of California, Los Angeles, Department of Psychology, United States.
A longitudinal study of a sample of women and their offspring from two urban areas (N = 233) was conducted to test whether maternal prenatal anxiety trajectories from early to late pregnancy are associated with 12-month infant developmental outcomes, independent of maternal postpartum anxiety symptoms, prenatal and postpartum depressive symptoms, parity, birth outcomes and maternal education. Three types of maternal anxiety trajectories over the course of pregnancy were identified and labeled increasing, decreasing, and stable-low. Only increasing maternal prenatal anxiety was associated with 12-month infant outcomes, specifically lower Bayley-III scores on receptive language and gross motor skills. Maternal anxiety measured at each individual timepoint in pregnancy was not associated with infant Bayley-III outcomes, highlighting the importance of examining trajectories of maternal affect.
A longitudinal study of a sample of women and their offspring from two urban areas (N = 233) was conducted to test whether maternal prenatal anxiety trajectories from early to late pregnancy are associated with 12-month infant developmental outcomes, independent of maternal postpartum anxiety symptoms, prenatal and postpartum depressive symptoms, parity, birth outcomes and maternal education. Three types of maternal anxiety trajectories over the course of pregnancy were identified and labeled increasing, decreasing, and stable-low. Only increasing maternal prenatal anxiety was associated with 12-month infant outcomes, specifically lower Bayley-III scores on receptive language and gross motor skills. Maternal anxiety measured at each individual timepoint in pregnancy was not associated with infant Bayley-III outcomes, highlighting the importance of examining trajectories of maternal affect.
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