Parent-infant conversations are differentially associated with the development of preterm- and term-born infants.

Preterm birth is a risk factor for language difficulties. To better understand the language development of preterm-born infants, the current study investigated the concurrent associations between parent-infant conversations and the development of 22 preterm-born and 25 term-born infants at 2 years of age. Conversations occurring during mother/father-infant free-play interactions were analyzed to characterize features of parental speech (volubility, speech rate, lexical diversity, and morphosyntactic complexity) and parent-infant exchanges (parent responsiveness, turn-taking, and conversational balance). The infants' language development (receptive communication and expressive communication) and non-language development (cognitive, social-emotional, and executive function) was assessed using standardized measures. Parent-infant conversations were associated with both language and non-language development. This suggests that parent-infant conversations may support language development directly and/or through advancing non-language skills that could promote language learning. The associations between parent-infant conversations and development varied as a function of birth status (preterm or term). This finding may signal the operation of different developmental processes within preterm- and term-born groups. Finally, infant development was differentially associated with mother-infant and father-infant conversations. This may point to the distinct contributions made by mothers and fathers to the development of both preterm- and term-born infants. To optimize language outcomes, these findings indicate that families should be guided to tailor parent-infant conversations to the unique developmental needs and processes of preterm-born infants. Families should also be supported to leverage the distinct developmental contributions of mothers and fathers. Future recommendations are made regarding how to investigate the proposed preterm-term differences in language development processes and the differential developmental contribution of mothers and fathers.

Young adult outcomes following premature birth: A Western Australian experience.

BACKGROUND: Childhood outcomes following preterm birth are widely published, however long-term adult outcomes are less well described. We aimed to determine the quality of life and burden of co-morbidities experienced by preterm-born young adults in Western Australia. METHODS: A retrospective observational study was conducted. Participants born at 23-33 weeks gestation cared for at King Edward Memorial Hospital during 1990 and 1991 were recruited from a historical birth cohort. Participants completed general, medical and reproductive health questionnaires. Results were compared with contemporaneous cohort data and/or population statistics. RESULTS: Questionnaires were received from 73 young adults aged 28 to 30 years. The majority of respondents completed high school (94.5 %), were employed fulltime (74.0 %) and had close friends and family relationships. Almost all the participants considered their health to be good (94.0 %) and participated in light exercise (90.0 %). Increased hypertension, hypercholesterolaemia, asthma, neuropsychiatric conditions and visual impairment were reported. Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21) scoring identified increased mild anxiety. Increased consultation with healthcare workers and use of prescription medications were reported. CONCLUSION: The group of preterm-born adults surveyed reported a good quality of life, supportive interpersonal relationships and they provided significant contributions to society. They did report increased medical and psychological conditions than the general population.

Indirect evidence for altered dopaminergic neurotransmission in very premature-born adults.

While animal models indicate altered brain dopaminergic neurotransmission after premature birth, corresponding evidence in humans is scarce due to missing molecular imaging studies. To overcome this limitation, we studied dopaminergic neurotransmission changes in human prematurity indirectly by evaluating the spatial co-localization of regional alterations in blood oxygenation fluctuations with the distribution of adult dopaminergic neurotransmission. The study cohort comprised 99 very premature-born (<32 weeks of gestation and/or birth weight below 1500 g) and 107 full-term born young adults, being assessed by resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) and IQ testing. Normative molecular imaging dopamine neurotransmission maps were derived from independent healthy control groups. We computed the co-localization of local (rs-fMRI) activity alterations in premature-born adults with respect to term-born individuals to different measures of dopaminergic neurotransmission. We performed selectivity analyses regarding other neuromodulatory systems and MRI measures. In addition, we tested if the strength of the co-localization is related to perinatal measures and IQ. We found selectively altered co-localization of rs-fMRI activity in the premature-born cohort with dopamine-2/3-receptor availability in premature-born adults. Alterations were specific for the dopaminergic system but not for the used MRI measure. The strength of the co-localization was negatively correlated with IQ. In line with animal studies, our findings support the notion of altered dopaminergic neurotransmission in prematurity which is associated with cognitive performance.

The Bayley Social-Emotional Scale and the Assessment of Preterm Infants: a systematic review / Escala Socioemocional Bayley e Avaliação de Bebês Prematuros: uma revisão sistemática / Escala Socioemocional de Bayley y Evaluación para Bebés Prematuros: una revisión sistemática

The Bayley scale is one of the most widely used instruments for assessing infant development. This article aimed to systematically review the contribution of the Bayley social-emotional scale in the assessment of social-emotional development in preterm infants. This systematic review followed PRISMA guidelines and was registered in PROSPERO. According to the inclusion criteria, 19 articles were selected from electronic databases. The results indicate reduced rates in evaluating the scale for children with lower gestational age, birth weight, and the association with environmental, biological, and hospital clinical factors. However, no analysis was found between the axes that guide the social-emotional development milestones present in the Bayley assessment and the developmental outcomes of preterm children. Bayley's social-emotional scale and other assessment methods can jointly compose a detailed and sensitive protocol for preterm infants regarding early childhood emotional health care. (AU)

A escala Bayley é um dos instrumentos mais utilizados para avaliação do desenvolvimento infantil. O objetivo deste artigo foi realizar uma revisão sistemática sobre a contribuição da escala socioemocional, pertencente à Bayley, na avaliação de crianças prematuras. A revisão seguiu as recomendações PRISMA e foi registrada no PROSPERO. Conforme critérios de inclusão, 19 artigos foram selecionados a partir de bancos de dados eletrônicos. Os resultados indicam índices reduzidos na avaliação da escala para crianças com menor idade gestacional, peso ao nascer e a associação com fatores ambientais, biológicos e clínicos hospitalares. No entanto, não foram encontradas análises entre os eixos que orientam os marcos de desenvolvimento socioemocional, presentes na avaliação Bayley e os resultados do desenvolvimento das crianças prematuras. A escala socioemocional da Bayley e outros métodos de avaliação podem conjuntamente compor um protocolo detalhado e sensível destinado ao cuidado da saúde emocional de crianças nascidas prematuras. (AU)

La escala Bayley es uno de los instrumentos más utilizados para la evaluación del desarrollo infantil. El propósito del artículo fue revisar sistemáticamente la contribución de la escala socioemocional de Bayley en la evaluación de bebés prematuros. La revisión siguió las recomendaciones PRISMA y fue registrada en PROSPERO. Según los criterios de inclusión, se seleccionaron 19 artículos de bases de datos electrónicas. Los resultados indican índices reducidos en la evaluación de la escala para niños con menor edad gestacional, peso al nacer asociaciados con factores ambientales, biológicos y clínicos hospitalarios. Sin embargo, no se encontraron análisis entre los ejes que orientan los hitos del desarrollo socioemocional, presentes en la evaluación Bayley, y los resultados del desarrollo de los niños prematuros. La Escala Socioemocional de Bayley y otros métodos de evaluación pueden formar en conjunto un protocolo detallado y sensible para el cuidado de la salud emocional de niños prematuros. (AU)

Effect of prematurity and temperament on the mother-infant interaction / Efeito da prematuridade e temperamento na interação mãe-bebê / Efecto de la prematurez y el temperamento en la interacción madre-bebé

Abstract We evaluated the effect of prematurity and the infant's temperament on the mother-infant behaviors in the Face-to-Face Still-Face Paradigm (FFSF). The study included 75 mothers and their infants (37 preterm and 38 term) between three and four months of age (corrected age for preterm infants). The mothers responded to a perception scale of the infants' temperament and the dyads were observed in a structured condition (FFSF). The FFSF Paradigm, divided into three episodes, made it possible to analyze the behaviors of: Positive Social Orientation, Negative Social Orientation and Self-comfort. The averages recorded for these categories were analyzed in a Multivariate ANOVA (factors: prematurity and temperament). Temperament had more effect on maternal and infant behaviors, suggesting that this factor may influence mother-infant interaction. The results can guide possible interventions with families. (AU)

Resumo Buscou-se avaliar o efeito da prematuridade e do tipo de temperamento do bebê sobre a interação mãe-bebê por meio do Paradigma do Face-to-Face Still-Face (FFSF). Participaram do estudo 75 mães e seus bebês (37 pré-termo e 38 a termo), entre três a quatro meses de vida (idade corrigida para bebês pré-termo). As mães responderam a uma escala de percepção do temperamento dos bebês e as díades foram filmadas em condição estruturada (FFSF). A filmagem, dividida em três episódios, possibilitou a análise de comportamentos de: Orientação Social Positiva, Orientação Social Negativa e Autoconforto. As médias registradas para essas categorias foram submetidas à Anova Multivariada (fatores: prematuridade e temperamento). O temperamento apresentou mais efeito sobre os comportamentos maternos e dos bebês, sugerindo que esse fator pode influenciar a interação diádica. Os resultados podem nortear possíveis intervenções junto às famílias.(AU)

Resumen Se buscó evaluar el efecto de la prematuridad y el tipo de temperamento del bebé en la interacción madre-bebé a través del Paradigma Face-to-Face Still-Face (FFSF). En el estudio participaron 75 madres y sus bebés (37 prematuros y 38 a término), con edades comprendidas entre los tres y los cuatro meses (edad corregida para bebés prematuros). Las madres respondieron a una escala de percepción del temperamento de los bebés y las díadas fueron filmadas en una condición estructurada (FFSF). El rodaje, dividido en tres episodios, permitió analizar los comportamientos de: Orientación Social Positiva, Orientación Social Negativa y Autoconfort. Los promedios registrados para estas categorías fueron sometidos al ANOVA Multivariado (factores: prematuridad y temperamento). El temperamento tuvo más efecto en los comportamientos maternos e infantiles, lo que sugiere que este factor puede influir en la interacción diádica. Los resultados pueden orientar posibles intervenciones con las familias. (AU)

Associations between maternal awakening salivary cortisol levels in mid-pregnancy and adverse birth outcomes.

PURPOSE: Elevated levels of maternal cortisol have been hypothesized as the intermediate process between symptoms of depression and psychosocial stress during pregnancy and adverse birth outcomes. Therefore, we examined associations between cortisol levels in the second trimester of pregnancy and risks of three common birth outcomes in a nested case-control study. METHODS: This study was embedded in the PRIDE Study (n = 3,019), from which we selected all cases with preterm birth (n = 64), low birth weight (n = 49), and small-for-gestational age (SGA; n = 65), and 260 randomly selected controls, among the participants who provided a single awakening saliva sample in approximately gestational week 19 in 2012-2016. Multivariable linear and logistic regression was performed to assess the associations between continuous and categorized cortisol levels and the selected outcomes. RESULTS: We did not observe any associations between maternal cortisol levels and preterm birth and low birth weight. However, high cortisol levels (≥ 90th percentile) seemed to be associated with SGA (adjusted odds ratio 2.1, 95% confidence interval 0.9-4.8), in particular among girls (adjusted odds ratio 3.7, 95% confidence interval 1.1-11.9, based on eight exposed cases) in an exploratory analysis. CONCLUSION: The results of this study showed no suggestions of associations between maternal awakening cortisol levels in mid-pregnancy and adverse birth outcomes, except for an increased risk of SGA.

Psychological well-being of women at high risk of spontaneous preterm birth cared for in a specialised preterm birth clinic: a prospective longitudinal cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the psychological well-being of pregnant women at increased risk of spontaneous preterm birth, and the impact of care from a preterm birth clinic. DESIGN: Single-centre longitudinal cohort study over 1 year, 2018-2019. SETTING: Tertiary maternity hospital in Auckland, New Zealand. PARTICIPANTS: Pregnant women at increased risk of spontaneous preterm birth receiving care in a preterm birth clinic. INTERVENTION: Participants completed three sets of questionnaires (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, and 36-Item Short Form Survey)-prior to their first, after their second, and after their last clinic appointments. Study-specific questionnaires explored pregnancy-related anxiety and perceptions of care. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome was the mean State-Anxiety score. Secondary outcomes included depression and quality of life measures. RESULTS: 73/97 (75.3%) eligible women participated; 41.1% had a previous preterm birth, 31.5% a second trimester loss and 28.8% cervical surgery; 20.6% had a prior mental health condition. 63/73 (86.3%) women completed all questionnaires. The adjusted mean state-anxiety score was 39.0 at baseline, which decreased to 36.5 after the second visit (difference -2.5, 95% CI -5.5 to 0.5, p=0.1) and to 32.6 after the last visit (difference -3.9 from second visit, 95% CI -6.4 to -1.5, p=0.002). Rates of anxiety (state-anxiety score >40) and depression (Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale score >12) were 38.4%, 34.8%, 19.0% and 13.7%, 8.7%, 9.5% respectively, at the same time periods. Perceptions of care were favourable; 88.9% stated the preterm birth clinic made them significantly or somewhat less anxious and 87.3% wanted to be seen again in a future pregnancy. CONCLUSIONS: Women at increased risk of spontaneous preterm birth have high levels of anxiety. Psychological well-being improved during the second trimester; women perceived that preterm birth clinic care reduced pregnancy-related anxiety. These findings support the ongoing use and development of preterm birth clinics.

Mathematical skills of 11-year-old children born very preterm and full-term.

Preterm birth affects the academic development of children, especially in mathematics. Remarkably, only a few studies have measured specific effects of preterm birth on mathematical skills in primary school. The aim of this study was to compare 11-year-old children, with an IQ above 70, born very preterm (N = 64) and full-term (N = 72) on a variety of 5th grade mathematical skills and cognitive abilities important for mathematical learning. The measures were spontaneous focusing on numerosity (SFON), spontaneous focusing on quantitative relations (SFOR), arithmetic fluency, mathematics achievement, number line estimation, rational number magnitude knowledge, mathematics motivation, reading skills, visuospatial processing, executive functions, and naming speed. The children born very preterm and full-term differed in arithmetic fluency, SFON and SFOR. Domain general cognitive abilities did not fully explain the group differences in SFON and SFOR. Retrospective comparisons of the samples at the age of five years showed large group differences in early mathematical skills and cognitive abilities. Despite lower early mathematical skills, the children born very preterm reached peer equivalent performance in many mathematical skills by the age of 11 years. Nevertheless, they appear less likely to focus on implicit mathematical features in their everyday life.

Maternal postpartum depressive symptoms partially mediate the association between preterm birth and mental and behavioral disorders in children.

Preterm birth has been linked with postpartum depressive (PPD) disorders and high symptom levels, but evidence remains conflicting and limited in quality. It remains unclear whether PPD symptoms of mothers with preterm babies were already elevated before childbirth, and whether PPD symptoms mediate/aggravate the effect of preterm birth on child mental disorders. We examined whether preterm birth associated with maternal PPD symptoms, depressive symptoms trajectories from antenatal to postpartum stage, and whether PPD symptoms mediated/aggravated associations between preterm birth and child mental disorders. Mothers of preterm (n = 125) and term-born (n = 3033) children of the Prediction and Prevention of Preeclampsia and Intrauterine Growth Restriction study reported depressive symptoms four times within 8 weeks before and twice within 12 months after childbirth. Child mental and behavioral disorder diagnoses until age 8.4-12.8 years came from medical register. Preterm birth associated with higher PPD symptoms (mean difference = 0.19 SD, 95% CI 0.01, 0.37, p = 0.04), and higher odds (odds ratio = 2.23, 95% CI 1.22, 4.09, p = 0.009) of the mother to belong to a group that had consistently high depressive symptoms levels trajectory from antenatal to postpartum stage. PPD symptoms partially mediated and aggravated the association between preterm birth and child mental disorders. Preterm birth, maternal PPD symptoms and child mental disorders are associated, calling for timely prevention interventions.

Maternal Mental Health Disorders Following Very Preterm Birth at 5 Years Post-Birth.

OBJECTIVE: Mothers of children born very preterm (VP) are at increased risk of developing postnatal depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress symptoms. However, mental health disorder rates are rarely assessed in this population compared with full-term peers, and it is unclear if postnatal distress symptoms precede higher rates of maternal mental health disorders at 5 years post-birth in both birth groups. METHODS: Mothers of children born VP (n = 65; mean [SD] age at birth, 33.9 [5.0]; 72.1% tertiary educated) and full-term (n = 90; mean [SD] age at birth, 33.4 [4.0]; 88.2% tertiary educated) completed questionnaires assessing symptoms of depression, anxiety, and trauma within 4 weeks of birth. At 5 years post-birth, they participated in a structured diagnostic interview assessing mood, anxiety, and trauma-related mental health disorders, both current and over the lifetime. RESULTS: There was little evidence for differences between mothers in the VP and full-term groups in rates of any mental health disorder at 5 years (VP = 14%, full-term = 14%) or lifetime (VP = 41%, full-term = 37%). In mothers of children born VP, elevated postnatal post-traumatic stress symptoms were associated with higher rates of mental health disorders at 5 years (odds ratio = 21.5, 95% confidence interval = 1.35-342). CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest that preterm birth may not lead to increased odds of later developing maternal mental health disorders, despite known risks of elevated postnatal distress following a VP birth. However, those with post-traumatic stress symptoms following a VP birth could be more vulnerable, and assessment and monitoring is recommended.

Evaluating parental perceptions of written handbooks provided during shared decision making with parents anticipating extremely preterm birth.

OBJECTIVE: To explore parental perceptions of written handbooks provided to them during antenatal counseling for anticipated extremely preterm birth. STUDY DESIGN: This study involved a prospective convenience sample of parents anticipating delivery between 22 weeks + 0 days and 25 weeks + 6 days gestation. The antenatal counseling involved a shared decision-making process. In-person interviews were conducted using a semi-structured interview guide to gather feedback about new parent handbooks developed to support decision making. The questions during the semi-structured interview targeted seven main themes: overall impression, timing, graphs/tables, formatting, imagery, ease of use and understanding, and content. The interviews followed an antenatal consultation and provision of the appropriate handbook(s) by a neonatologist. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and thematic analysis of the data was completed. RESULTS: Eleven parents were interviewed. All parents described the provision of the handbook(s) following the consultation with a neonatologist as the ideal time. All parents considered a visual representation of the data to be invaluable. Parents considered the handbooks easy to understand and straightforward. Some parents were satisfied with simple information, which helped them feel less overwhelmed; others felt the depth of information was insufficient. Parents preferred a paper copy to electronic. Reactions to the photo of an infant receiving intensive care varied; some parents felt frightened, others felt comforted. CONCLUSION: Overall, parents positively evaluated the handbooks, supporting their utility for parents anticipating extremely preterm birth. Concrete suggestions for improvement were made; the handbooks will be modified accordingly. Parents at other perinatal centers may benefit from receiving such handbooks.

Joint effects of prenatal exposure to per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances and psychosocial stressors on corticotropin-releasing hormone during pregnancy.

BACKGROUND: Prenatal exposure to per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and psychosocial stressors has been associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes, including preterm birth. Previous studies have suggested that joint exposure to environmental chemical and social stressors may be contributing to disparities observed in preterm birth. Elevated corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) during mid-gestation may represent one biologic mechanism linking chemical and nonchemical stress exposures to preterm birth. METHODS: Using data from a prospective birth cohort (N = 497), we examined the cross-sectional associations between five individual PFAS (ng/mL; PFNA, PFOA, PFOS, PFHxS, and Me-PFOSA-AcOH) and CRH (pg/mL) using linear regression. PFAS and CRH were measured during the second trimester in serum and plasma, respectively. Coefficients were standardized to reflect change in CRH associated with an interquartile range (IQR) increase in natural log-transformed PFAS. We additionally examined if the relationship between PFAS and CRH was modified by psychosocial stress using stratified models. Self-reported depression, stressful life events, perceived stress, food insecurity, and financial strain were assessed using validated questionnaires during the second trimester and included as binary indicators of psychosocial stress. RESULTS: An IQR increase in PFNA was associated with elevated CRH (ß = 5.17, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.79, 8.55). Increased concentrations of PFOA were also moderately associated with CRH (ß = 3.62, 95% CI = -0.42, 7.66). The relationship between PFNA and CRH was stronger among women who experienced stressful life events, depression, food insecurity, and financial strain compared to women who did not experience these stressors. CONCLUSIONS: This cross-sectional study is the first to examine the relationship between PFAS exposure and CRH levels in mid-gestation. We found that these associations were stronger among women who experienced stress, which aligns with previous findings that chemical and nonchemical stressor exposures can have joint effects on health outcomes.

The effect of a mindfulness-based intervention on executive, behavioural and socio-emotional competencies in very preterm young adolescents.

Very preterm (VPT) children and adolescents show executive, behavioural and socio-emotional difficulties that persists into adulthood. This study aims to assess the effectiveness of a mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) in improving these competencies in VPT young adolescents using a randomised controlled trial design. 56 young adolescents aged 10-14 years, born before 32 gestational weeks, were randomly assigned to an "intervention" or a "waiting" group and completed an 8-week MBI in a cross-over design. Executive, behavioural and socio-emotional competencies were assessed at three different time points via parent and self-reported questionnaires, neuropsychological testing and computerised tasks. The data were analysed using an intention-to-treat approach with linear regression modelling. Our findings show a beneficial effect of MBI on executive, behavioural and socio-emotional competencies in VPT young adolescents measured by parent questionnaires. Increased executive competencies were also observed on computerised task with enhanced speed of processing after MBI. Two subgroups of participants were created based on measures of prematurity, which revealed increased long-term benefits in the moderate-risk that were not observed in the high-risk subgroups of VPT young adolescents. MBI seems a valuable tool for reducing detrimental consequences of prematurity in young adolescents, especially regarding executive, behavioural and socio-emotional difficulties.Clinical Trial Registration ClinicalTrials, NCT04638101. Registered 20 November 2020-Retrospectively registered, https://clinicaltrials.gov/show/NCT04638101 .

"Preterm birth risk, me?" Women risk perception about premature delivery - a qualitative analysis.

BACKGROUND: Risk perception is based on collective indicators, but it is influenced by the individual's self-perception of his health-disease process. This study aims to investigate the risk perception of pregnant women who were identified as high-risk for premature birth and to seek strategies for better management of such cases. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study where women who had completed their participation in P5 trial were contacted and invited to answer a structured questionnaire with open questions. Data were collected by telephone and analyzed using thematic analysis. The analysis categories were defined, and all the answers were reviewed, categorized, grouped, and a descriptive summary was prepared. RESULTS: Two hundred eight Brazilian women have participated. Three categories were identified: (1) Risk perception mediated by health professionals; (2) Self-perception of risk through personal experiences and relationships; (3) Perception of treatment success. After receiving an explanation from a health professional about short cervix and premature birth, women understood the risk of premature delivery, recognizing the importance of early diagnosis to prevent premature birth. Unsuccessful previous experiences in prior pregnancies influenced women's risk perception. Patients believed in the success of the treatment performed, placing their hopes on the treatment even without research guarantees about benefits. CONCLUSIONS: Pregnant women's risk perception regarding prematurity is based partly on personal and family experiences but mainly on information given by health professionals. The risk perception about preterm birth may contribute to healthy pregnancy, guiding necessary interventions and preventing adverse outcomes. Prevention studies on prematurity should thus focus on neonatal outcomes.

Resilience and Stress during Pregnancy: A Comprehensive Multidimensional Approach in Maternal and Perinatal Health.

This narrative review addresses resilience and stress during pregnancy, which is part of a broader concept of maternal health. Pregnancy and postpartum are opportune periods for health promotion interventions, especially because the close contact of the women with health professionals. In this way, it can be considered a useful window of opportunity to identify women at higher risk for adverse outcomes. Integrated health is a concept that aims at providing comprehensive care related to the promotion of individuals' physical, mental, and social well-being. In this context, stress during pregnancy has been targeted as a remarkable condition to be addressed whether due to individual issues, social issues, or specific pregnancy issues, since it is directly and indirectly associated with pregnancy complications. Stress is associated with preterm birth, postpartum depression, anxiety, child neurodevelopment, and fetal distress. The way that an individual faces a stressful and adverse situation is called resilience; this reaction is individual, dynamic, and contextual, and it can affect maternal and fetal outcomes. Low resilience has been associated with poorer pregnancy outcomes. The social context of pregnancy can act as a protective or contributory (risk) factor, indicating that environments of high social vulnerability play a negative role in resilience and, consequently, in perceived stress. A given stressor can be enhanced or mitigated depending on the social context that was imposed, as well as it can be interpreted as different degrees of perceived stress and faced with a higher or lower degree of resilience. Understanding these complex mechanisms may be valuable for tackling this matter. Therefore, in the pregnancy-puerperal period, the analysis of the stress-resilience relationship is essential, especially in contexts of greater social vulnerability, and is a health-promoting factor for both the mother and baby.

Trait anxiety and unplanned delivery mode enhance the risk for childbirth-related post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms in women with and without risk of preterm birth: A multi sample path analysis.

Childbirth-related post-traumatic stress disorder (CB-PTSD) occurs in 3-7% of all pregnancies and about 35% of women after preterm birth (PTB) meet the criteria for acute stress reaction. Known risk factors are trait anxiety and pain intensity, whereas planned delivery mode, medical support, and positive childbirth experience are protective factors. It has not yet been investigated whether the effects of anxiety and delivery mode are mediated by other factors, and whether a PTB-risk alters these relationships. 284 women were investigated antepartum and six weeks postpartum (risk-group with preterm birth (RG-PB) N = 95, risk-group with term birth (RG-TB) N = 99, and control group (CG) N = 90). CB-PTSD symptoms and anxiety were measured using standardized psychological questionnaires. Pain intensity, medical support, and childbirth experience were assessed by single items. Delivery modes were subdivided into planned vs. unplanned delivery modes. Group differences were examined using MANOVA. To examine direct and indirect effects on CB-PTSD symptoms, a multi-sample path analysis was performed. Rates of PTS were highest in the RG-PB = 11.58% (RG-TB = 7.01%, CG = 1.1%). MANOVA revealed higher values of CB-PTSD symptoms and pain intensity in RG-PB compared to RG-TB and CG. Women with planned delivery mode reported a more positive birth experience. Path modeling revealed a good model fit. Explained variance was highest in RG-PB (R2 = 44.7%). Direct enhancing effects of trait anxiety and indirect reducing effects of planned delivery mode on CB-PTSD symptoms were observed in all groups. In both risk groups, CB-PTSD symptoms were indirectly reduced via support by medical staff and positive childbirth experience, while trait anxiety indirectly enhanced CB-PTSD symptoms via pain intensity in the CG. Especially in the RG-PB, a positive birth experience serves as protective factor against CB-PTSD symptoms. Therefore, our data highlights the importance of involving patients in the decision process even under stressful birth conditions and the need for psychological support antepartum, mainly in patients with PTB-risk and anxious traits. Trial registration number: NCT01974531 (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier).

Mood instability, depression, and anxiety in pregnancy and adverse neonatal outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Antenatal women experience an increased level of mood and anxiety symptoms, which have negative effects on mothers' mental and physical health as well as the health of their newborns. The relation of maternal depression and anxiety in pregnancy with neonate outcomes is well-studied with inconsistent findings. However, the association between antenatal mood instability (MI) and neonatal outcomes has not been investigated even though antenatal women experience an elevated level of MI. We sought to address this gap and to contribute to the literature about pregnancy neonate outcomes by examining the relationship among antenatal MI, depression, and anxiety and neonatal outcomes. METHODS: A prospective cohort of women (n = 555) participated in this study at early pregnancy (T1, 17.4 ± 4.9 weeks) and late pregnancy (T2, 30.6 ± 2.7 weeks). The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) was used to assess antenatal depressive symptoms, anxiety was measured by the EPDS anxiety subscale, and mood instability was measured by a visual analogue scale with five questions. These mood states together with stress, social support, as well as lifestyle were also examined in relation to neonatal outcomes using chi-square tests and logistic regression models. RESULTS: Mood instability, depression, and anxiety were unrelated to adverse neonatal outcomes. Only primiparous status was associated with small for gestational age after Bonferroni correction. CONCLUSIONS: We report no associations between antenatal mood symptoms including MI, depression, and anxiety and neonatal outcomes. More studies are required to further explore the relationship between antenatal mood instability, depression, and anxiety and neonatal outcomes.

Preterm birth and social support services for prenatal depression and social determinants.

Preterm birth (PTB; <37 weeks gestation), is a leading cause of infant mortality and morbidity. Among those born preterm, risk increases as gestational age at birth decreases. Psychosocial factors such as depression symptoms and social determinants of health (SDH) may increase risk for PTB. Research is needed to understand these risk factors and identify effective interventions. This retrospective cohort study recruited English- and Spanish-speaking women presenting symptoms of preterm labor or admitted for PTB from an urban county hospital in the San Francisco Bay Area (n = 47). We used an iterative analytic approach by which qualitative data informed an exploratory quantitative analysis. Key exposures were presence of self-reported depression symptoms during pregnancy, SDH along eight domains, and receipt of behavioral health services. The outcome was gestational age at birth. T-tests, Wilcoxon rank sum tests, and linear regression models were used to test associations between the exposures and gestational age. Most participants were Black (25.5%) or Latina (59.6%). After adjusting for covariates, participants with depression symptoms had an average gestational age 3.1 weeks shorter (95% CI: -5.02, -1.20) than women reporting no symptoms. After adjusting for covariates, high number of adverse social determinants (≥ 4) suggested an association with shorter gestational age (p = 0.07, 1.65 weeks, 95% CI: -3.44, 0.14). Receipt of behavioral health services was associated with a significantly later gestational age; the median difference was 5.5 weeks longer for depression symptoms, 3.5 weeks longer for high social determinants, and 6 weeks longer for depression symptoms and high social determinants. Among a cohort of high-risk pregnant women, both depression symptoms during pregnancy and co-occurring with exposure to high adverse SDH are associated with shorter gestational age at birth, after controlling for psychosocial factors. Receipt of behavioral health services may be an effective intervention to address disparities in PTB.

Perceived stress may mediate the relationship between antenatal depressive symptoms and preterm birth: A pilot observational cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Screening for changes in pregnancy-related anxiety and depressive symptoms during pregnancy may further our understanding of the relationship between these two variables and preterm birth. OBJECTIVES: To determine whether changes in pregnancy-related anxiety and depressive symptoms during pregnancy influence the risk of preterm birth among Pakistani women; explore whether perceived stress moderates or mediates this relationship, and examine the relationship between the various components of pregnancy-related anxiety and preterm birth. METHODS: A prospective cohort study design was used to recruit a diverse sample of 300 low-risk pregnant women from four centers of Aga Khan Hospital for Women and Children in Karachi, Pakistan. Changes in pregnancy-related anxiety and depressive symptoms during pregnancy were tested. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to determine a predictive model for preterm birth. We then determined if the influence of perceived stress could moderate or mediate the effect of depressive symptoms on preterm birth. RESULTS: Changes in pregnancy-related anxiety (OR = 1.1, CI 0.97-1.17, p = 0.167) and depressive symptoms (OR = 0.9, CI 0.85-1.03, p = 0.179) were insignificant as predictors of preterm birth after adjusting for the effects of maternal education and family type. When perceived stress was added into the model, we found that changes in depressive symptoms became marginally significant after adjusting for covariates (OR = 0.9, CI 0.82-1.01, p = 0.082). After adjusting for the mediation effect of change in perceived stress, the effect of change in depressive symptoms on preterm birth were marginally significant after adjusting for covariates. Among six different dimensions of pregnancy-related anxiety, mother's concerns about fetal health showed a trend towards being predictive of preterm birth (OR = 1.3, CI 0.97-1.72, p = 0.078). CONCLUSIONS: There may be a relationship between perceived stress and antenatal depressive symptoms and preterm birth. This is the first study of its kind to be conducted in Pakistan. Further research is required to validate these results.