Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 15, 2025

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
Stress During Pregnancy and the Development of Diseases in the offspring: A Systematic-Review and Meta-Analysis
Rafael A Caparros-Gonzalez1, Alejandro de la Torre-Luque2, Borja Romero-Gonzalez3
1Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Nursing, University of Granada, Granada, Spain.
Objective:
The goal of this systematic-review and meta-analysis was to assess whether high maternal stress during pregnancy is associated with the development of pediatric pathology.
Design:
Epidemiological peer-reviewed studies published in English or Spanish assessing associations between maternal stress during pregnancy and psychiatric and medical diseases were selected.
Participants:
We retrieved 73,024 citations; 42 studies meeting inclusion criteria were assessed. Overall sample included 65,814,076 women.
Findings:
Overall odds ratio for the development of a medical disease was OR=1.24 (CI95=1.11, 1.39), Z=3.85, p<.01. Overall odds ratio for psychiatric disorders was OR=1.28 (CI95=1.06, 1.56), Z=2.54, p<.02. Multivariate meta-analysis showed a significant coefficient for autism spectrum disorder studies, B=0.42, SE=0.16, Z=2.67, p<.01. We found a significant overall effect size for autism spectrum disorder (OR=1.45 [CI95=1.24, 1.70], Z=4.69, p<.01). In terms of medical diseases, studies including obesity and infantile colic presented a significant overall effect size, as OR=1.20 (CI95=1.03, 1.39), Z=2.41, p<.02. The highest effect size was found regarding the first trimester (B=1.62, SE=0.16, Z=9.90, p<.01).
Key Conclusions:
We concluded that exposure to high levels of stress during pregnancy are associated with autism spectrum disorder, obesity, and infantile colic in offspring.
Implications For Practice:
Maternal stress during pregnancy should be addressed to tackle its potential impact in health across the life span.
More Related Videos
09:09Generating a Reproducible Model of Mid-Gestational Maternal Immune Activation using PolyI:C to Study Susceptibility and Resilience in Offspring
Published on: August 17, 2022
07:13Induction of Maternal Immune Activation in Mice at Mid-gestation Stage with Viral Mimic PolyI:C
Published on: March 25, 2016
Related Concept Videos
Psychoneuroimmunology: Cardiovascular Disease
A key area of focus in PNI is the relationship between stress and coronary...
Teratogenicity
Psychoneuroimmunology: Diabetes and Cancer
Stress Prevention and Stress Management Techniques IV
Stress and Mental Health
Individuals with depression often experience challenges in both their personal and professional...
Introduction to Stress and Lifestyle