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Updated: Aug 22, 2026

Using a Murine Model of Psychosocial Stress in Pregnancy as a Translationally Relevant Paradigm for Psychiatric Disorders in Mothers and Infants
06:39

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

Importance of Preconception Care for Optimizing Fetal Growth in Pregnancies Complicated by Psychiatric Disorders

Hitoshi Isohata1, Sumie Miura2, Yu Yamazaki1

  • 1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kitasato University School of Medicine, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan.

The Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Research
|August 21, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Maternal background factors, not psychotropic medications, significantly impact fetal growth abnormalities like large for gestational age (LGA) and small for gestational age (SGA) in pregnancies with psychiatric disorders.

Area of Science:

  • Perinatology
  • Psychiatry
  • Reproductive Health

Background:

  • Pregnancies with maternal psychiatric disorders present unique challenges for fetal development.
  • Fetal growth abnormalities, including large for gestational age (LGA) and small for gestational age (SGA) infants, require investigation into their specific determinants.
  • Understanding these determinants is crucial for improving perinatal outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the factors influencing fetal growth abnormalities (LGA and SGA) in singleton pregnancies affected by maternal psychiatric disorders.
  • To specifically examine the impact of psychotropic medication exposure and maternal background factors on infant growth.

Main Methods:

  • A retrospective cohort study of 400 singleton pregnancies with maternal psychiatric disorders (2019-2023).
  • Data collected included maternal characteristics, psychiatric diagnoses, psychotropic medication use (including polypharmacy and metabolically high-risk medications), and obstetric outcomes.
  • Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to identify independent risk factors for LGA and SGA.

Main Results:

  • Psychotropic medication use (including polypharmacy and metabolically high-risk types) was not independently associated with LGA or SGA.
  • High prepregnancy BMI was the sole independent risk factor identified for LGA.
  • Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, maternal alcohol consumption, and lower prepregnancy BMI were independently associated with SGA.

Conclusions:

  • Fetal growth abnormalities in pregnancies with psychiatric disorders are primarily linked to maternal background factors.
  • No significant association was found between psychotropic medication use and LGA or SGA in this cohort.
  • Preconception care optimizing metabolic health and lifestyle is recommended to improve fetal growth outcomes.
Abstract

Keywords:
large for gestational agepreconception carepsychiatric disorderspsychotropic medicationssmall for gestational age

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