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Prenatal maternal cortisol, stress and anxiety, and childhood obesity at 5 years: a nested case-control study

Karen Matvienko-Sikar1, Emma Butler2, Linda O' Keeffe1

  • 1School of Public Health, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.

Journal of Reproductive and Infant Psychology
|November 29, 2023
PubMed

Insights

Prenatal maternal stress, anxiety, depression, and cortisol levels in the second trimester were not associated with childhood overweight or obesity at age 5. This study found no link between maternal mental health during pregnancy and later childhood weight status.

Area of Science:

  • Reproductive Health
  • Public Health
  • Pediatrics

Background:

  • Paediatric obesity is a significant global public health concern.
  • Prenatal maternal mental health is a potential factor in childhood obesity development.
  • This study investigates the link between maternal prenatal mental health and childhood weight outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine associations between prenatal maternal cortisol, stress, anxiety, and depression in the second trimester.
  • To determine the relationship between these maternal factors and childhood overweight/obesity at 5 years of age.

Main Methods:

  • A nested case-control study using the SCOPE BASELINE cohort.
  • Cases: children with BMI z-score > +2 SD; Controls: children with BMI z-score -0.5 to 0.5 SD at 5 years.
  • Maternal serum cortisol and self-reported mental health measures at 15-20 weeks gestation; conditional logistic regression used.

Main Results:

  • Adjusted models showed no significant associations between prenatal maternal stress, anxiety, depression, or cortisol levels and child BMI z-score.
  • Odds ratios for stress, anxiety, and depression were 1.02, 1.03, and 1.04, respectively.
  • Cortisol concentration showed an odds ratio of 0.99 for child BMI z-score.

Conclusions:

  • Findings do not support an association between second-trimester maternal cortisol, stress, anxiety, and childhood overweight or obesity at 5 years.
  • No evidence suggests that fetal exposure to maternal mental health indicators in early pregnancy influences later childhood weight status.
Abstract

Keywords:
Childhood obesityanxietycortisolpregnancystress

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