Psychological mechanisms of prenatal mindfulness training on antenatal blood pressure reduction: A pilot study
Margaret H Bublitz1, Micheline Anderson2, Ghada Bourjeily3
1Women's Medicine Collaborative at The Miriam Hospital, Providence, RI, USA; Department of Medicine, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA; Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.
Background:
Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) are a significant cause of perinatal morbidity and mortality. Mindfulness training (MT) shows promise for reducing blood pressure during pregnancy; however, the underlying mechanisms by which MT exerts this effect remain unclear.
Objectives:
The objectives of this pilot randomized clinical trial were to study psychological mechanisms through which MT may reduce blood pressure in pregnancy.
Study Design:
Pregnant participants were randomized to an 8-week phone-delivered mindfulness intervention or usual care. Antenatal blood pressure values were extracted from medical records before and after the intervention to examine change in blood pressure. Participants also completed self-report measures of depression, anxiety, perceived stress, and mindfulness before and after the intervention.
Results:
Twenty-nine participants were randomized to phone-based MT (N = 15) or usual care (N = 14). Blood pressure significantly decreased across participation among those randomized to MT vs. usual care (systolic blood pressure (F = 5.093, p = .035); diastolic blood pressure (F = 9.689, p = .005)). Reductions in perceived stress mediated the relationship between mindfulness training and decreases in systolic-but not diastolic-maternal blood pressure.
Conclusions:
Findings from this pilot trial suggest that reductions in perceived stress may underlie the effect of prenatal mindfulness training on lowering maternal systolic blood pressure.
Clinical Trial Registration:
The ClinicalTrials.gov identifier is NCT03679117.
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