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Associations between prenatal stress with offspring inflammation, depression and anxiety

Zahra M Clayborne1, Stephen E Gilman2, Golam M Khandaker3

  • 1School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada; Department of Pediatrics, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.

Psychoneuroendocrinology
|August 14, 2024
PubMed

Insights

Prenatal maternal stress linked to higher childhood IL-6 levels and adolescent anxiety and depression. However, inflammation markers did not mediate this association, suggesting other pathways may be involved in mental health outcomes.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Psychology
  • Neuroimmunology
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Prenatal maternal stress is a known risk factor for adverse child development.
  • The role of inflammation in mediating the link between prenatal stress and adolescent mental health requires further investigation.
  • Longitudinal studies are crucial for understanding developmental trajectories of mental health.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between prenatal maternal stress and adolescent mental health.
  • To examine the mediating role of childhood inflammation (IL-6 and CRP) in this relationship.
  • To assess symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and depression in adolescence.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized data from 3723 mother-child pairs in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC).
  • Assessed prenatal maternal stress via 55 items during pregnancy.
  • Measured serum concentrations of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and C-reactive protein (CRP) at age 9, and GAD/depression symptoms at ages 16 and 18.
  • Employed structural equation models for analysis.

Main Results:

  • Prenatal maternal stress was associated with elevated IL-6 concentrations in childhood.
  • Prenatal maternal stress correlated with increased adolescent symptoms of depression and GAD.
  • No significant associations were found between prenatal maternal stress and CRP, nor between CRP/IL-6 and adolescent mental health outcomes.
  • Inflammation markers (CRP and IL-6) did not mediate the link between prenatal stress and GAD or depression.

Conclusions:

  • Prenatal maternal stress is linked to specific inflammatory markers (IL-6) in childhood and mental health issues in adolescence.
  • Inflammation in childhood does not appear to mediate the relationship between prenatal stress and adolescent GAD or depression.
  • Further research should explore immune activity across multiple developmental stages to fully understand the long-term mental health risks associated with prenatal stress.
Abstract

Keywords:
ALSPACAnxietyDepressionDevelopmentInflammationPrenatal stress

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