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Updated: Oct 1, 2025

Using a Murine Model of Psychosocial Stress in Pregnancy as a Translationally Relevant Paradigm for Psychiatric Disorders in Mothers and Infants
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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

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Assessing the relationship between psychosocial risk and pregnancy outcomes using the perinatal integrated

Anne O'Connor1, Antonia W Shand2,3, Francisco J Schneuer3

  • 1Royal Hospital for Women, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

Birth (Berkeley, Calif.)
|March 2, 2022
PubMed

Insights

The Perinatal Integrated Psychosocial Assessment (PIPA) tool identifies high-risk pregnancies. Early intervention for these women significantly reduced adverse obstetric and neonatal outcomes.

Area of Science:

  • Perinatal mental health
  • Maternal-fetal medicine
  • Psychosocial obstetrics

Background:

  • The Perinatal Integrated Psychosocial Assessment (PIPA) tool screens for maternal anxiety, depression, and psychosocial risk during pregnancy.
  • Identifying psychosocial risk is crucial for improving perinatal and neonatal outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the association between psychosocial risk identified by the PIPA tool and adverse obstetric and neonatal outcomes.
  • To determine if early support for high-risk women mitigates negative outcomes.

Main Methods:

  • A cohort study included 5969 women giving birth between 2017-2019 at a tertiary maternity hospital.
  • Women completed the PIPA tool at their first antenatal visit, categorizing them by risk level.
  • Multivariable logistic regression analyzed the association between PIPA risk and outcomes, adjusting for confounders.

Main Results:

  • 11.1% of women were categorized as medium-high/high psychosocial risk.
  • High-risk women had increased odds of prolonged hospital stay (>72 hours), not breastfeeding at discharge, infant birth complications, and NICU admission.
  • A modest increase in cesarean birth odds was observed, with no association with preterm birth or low birthweight.

Conclusions:

  • The PIPA tool effectively identifies women at increased risk for adverse perinatal and neonatal outcomes.
  • Referral for support significantly attenuated adverse outcomes in high-risk women, highlighting the importance of timely intervention.
Abstract

Keywords:
anxietybirthdepressionpregnancypsychosocial stress

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