Jul 2026· Infant Behavior and Development· Vol 84, pp.
102218
· 0 citations· 48 references
Medicine
TL;DR
Findings suggest that more severe stressors related to health/mental health may be more salient for early development of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal system than less severe stressors (e.g., moving).
Abstract
We examined whether specific maternal-perceived prenatal life stress predicted infant cortisol output at 2 or 6 months. Expectant mothers reported the occurrence and perceived impact of 47 potential prenatal life stressors. Infant cortisol was assessed across four salivary samples collected during a laboratory/home visit including stressful activities. Associations were examined between infant cortisol output and each potential life stressor, accumulation of stress within 7 distinct categories, and total stress accumulation. Although total stress was associated with higher infant cortisol output, only four specific perceived life stressors (i.e., serious accident/illness, mental health challenges, and trauma experience (self and partners')) within two categories (health/mental health and vicarious stress) predicted heightened infant cortisol output after adjusting for covariates and the false discovery rate. Findings suggest that more severe stressors related to health/mental health may be more salient for early development of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal system than less severe stressors (e.g., moving). Aggregating stressors regardless of severity may obscure meaningful effects.
Background Prenatal maternal stress is increasingly recognized as a critical determinant of fetal programming, with potential consequences for early physical growth and neurodevelopment. Although a growing body of evidence links maternal psychological stress to adverse perinatal and developmental outcomes, most studies originate from high-income Western settings, rely predominantly on self-reported stress measures, and rarely incorporate biological stress markers. Evidence from post-Soviet regional contexts remains limited. Methods A two-phase study was conducted in Tbilisi, Georgia. Phase I employed a cross-sectional observational design involving 398 pregnant women recruited from maternity homes and women’s consultations. Maternal psycho-emotional stress was assessed using a standardized pregnancy stress questionnaire, and salivary cortisol was measured in a subsample of women reporting chronic stress (N = 95). Phase II used a prospective cohort design to follow infants born to stress-exposed mothers (N = 95) and non-stressed controls (N = 95) from birth to 12 months. Infant outcomes included anthropometric measurements evaluated using World Health Organization Child Growth Standards and neurodevelopmental screening using the Ages & Stages Questionnaires, Third Edition (ASQ-3), at 1–3, 5–7, and 11–13 months. Statistical analyses were made by SPSS23.0. Results Women in the stress group had significantly higher salivary cortisol concentrations. Children born to stress-exposed mothers showed significantly poorer physical growth and lower ASQ-3 scores across all developmental domains during the first year of life (all P < 0.001).
N. Masiukovichi, W. Caudle, T. Masiukovichi et al.· Research Square· 0 citations
ABSTRACT Evolutionary‐developmental theories of stress responsivity contend that the in utero environment shapes offspring biobehavioral regulation in a manner that promotes postnatal functioning. To elucidate how the prenatal environment influences stress regulation, this study tested associations of maternal psychological distress and inflammation during pregnancy, based on both levels and changes over time, with infant behavioral stress regulation (n = 118). In early, mid, and late pregnancy, mothers reported on depressive and anxiety symptoms and completed blood draws that were assayed for pro‐inflammatory cytokines (IL‐6, TNF‐⍺). When infants were 1 month old, research staff administered a heel stick blood draw and coded infant behavioral responses. Greater increases in maternal depressive symptoms and IL‐6 from early to late pregnancy were associated with greater behavioral reactivity to and recovery from the heel stick. Conversely, higher overall levels of IL‐6 predicted lower infant behavioral arousal. Maternal anxiety symptoms during pregnancy did not directly predict infant behavioral regulation, but there was evidence that overall levels of prenatal anxiety predicted infant behavior indirectly via IL‐6. Anxiety symptom levels were associated with TNF‐⍺. Findings add to evidence on prenatal origins of offspring behavioral regulation and suggest that changes in psychobiological processes over the course of pregnancy may distinctly predict infant outcomes.
Gabrielle R. Rinne, K. Ross, Christine Dunkel Schetter· Developmental Psychobiology· 0 citations
Background: Prenatal maternal stress is increasingly recognized as a critical determinant of fetal programming, with potential consequences for early physical growth and neurodevelopment. Although a growing body of evidence links maternal psychological stress to adverse perinatal and developmental outcomes, most studies originate from high-income Western settings, rely predominantly on self-reported stress measures, and rarely incorporate biological stress markers. Evidence from post-Soviet regional contexts remains limited. Methods: A two-phase study was conducted in Tbilisi, Georgia. Phase I employed a cross-sectional observational design involving 398 pregnant women recruited from maternity homes and women’s consultations. Maternal psycho-emotional stress was assessed using a study-specific pregnancy stress questionnaire, and salivary cortisol was measured in a subsample of women reporting chronic stress (N = 95). Phase II used a prospective cohort design to follow infants born to stress-exposed mothers (N = 95) and non-stressed controls (N = 95) from birth to 12 months. Infant outcomes included anthropometric measurements evaluated using World Health Organization Child Growth Standards and neurodevelopmental screening using the Ages & Stages Questionnaires, Third Edition (ASQ-3), at 1–3, 5–7, and 11–13 months. Statistical analyses were made by SPSS 23.0. Results: Salivary cortisol assessment in the stress-exposed subsample provided supportive biological evidence of elevated stress levels but was not used for direct comparison with the control group. Children born to stress-exposed mothers showed significantly poorer physical growth and lower ASQ-3 scores across all developmental domains during the first year of life (all p < 0.05). Conclusions: This study provides novel evidence from an underrepresented regional context and supports early developmental surveillance and preventive strategies to improve maternal and child health outcomes.
N. Masiukovichi, W. M. Caudle, T. Masiukovichi et al.· Healthcare· 0 citations
The Developmental Originals of Health and Disease (DOHaD) and fetal programming hypotheses posit that developing organisms are especially susceptible to environmental signals at times of rapid maturation. These models highlight pregnancy as a sensitive period in which inputs from the environment can have long-lasting and robust effects on the health and development of the next generation. The purpose of this dissertation is to investigate prenatal maternal sleep as a process that may affect maternal and offspring health. Specifically, we focus on maternal and fetal hypothalamic-pituitaryadrenal (HPA) axis physiology since these systems have been commonly proposed as biological pathways linking prenatal experiences to offspring outcomes. The first study examines the associations among prenatal maternal hair cortisol, cortisol-cortisone ratio and perceived stress and prenatal maternal sleep across pregnancy. The second study investigates whether changes in prenatal maternal sleep predict neonatal hair cortisol levels. Results from the first study revealed that higher perceived stress, but not cortisol or cortisol-cortisone ratio, is associated with more sleep problems and shorter sleep duration across pregnancy. Further, results from the second study show that prenatal maternal sleep does not significantly predict neonatal hair cortisol levels. The findings from the two studies, as well as contributions to existing literature, strengths and limitations, and future directions, are discussed in detail.
Maternal wellbeing during pregnancy is an important component of maternal mental health and has implications for both maternal and child outcomes. Although psychological resources such as self-control and social support are generally assumed to promote wellbeing, maternal wellbeing may also be influenced by psychological vulnerabilities, including perceived stress and ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) symptoms. Recent theoretical perspectives further suggest that some beneficial characteristics may exhibit diminishing returns at higher levels. This study examined linear and nonlinear associations among perceived stress, ADHD symptoms, self-control, perceived social support, and maternal wellbeing during the second trimester of pregnancy. A sample of 149 first-time pregnant women from Romania completed measures of maternal wellbeing, perceived stress, ADHD symptoms, self-control, and perceived support from partners, family members, and friends. Hierarchical regression analyses were conducted, including quadratic terms derived from the Too-Much-of-a-Good-Thing framework. Perceived stress emerged as the strongest predictor of lower maternal wellbeing, whereas family support was positively associated with wellbeing. ADHD symptoms were negatively associated with wellbeing at the bivariate level but did not uniquely predict wellbeing after controlling for the remaining study variables. Most importantly, self-control demonstrated a significant nonlinear association characterized by diminishing returns, such that increases in self-control were associated with progressively smaller improvements in wellbeing at higher levels. No comparable nonlinear effects were observed for perceived stress or social support. Overall, the findings suggest that maternal wellbeing is shaped by both psychological vulnerabilities and psychological resources, and that the benefits of some psychological strengths may not increase uniformly across their entire range.
Maternal childhood maltreatment (CM) has been linked to adverse outcomes in the next generation, including infant sleep, which is crucial for healthy development. This study examined whether maternal sensitivity buffered these effects in 101 German and 117 U.S. mother-infant dyads. Mothers reported on their CM history. Infant night sleep duration was assessed at 3, 6, 9, 12, 18, and 24 months. Maternal sensitivity was observed at 6 months. In the German cohort, higher maternal CM predicted shorter infant night sleep (p = .009). Maternal sensitivity moderated this association (p = .038), emphasizing its protective role. While the replication of this interaction was inconclusive in the U.S. sample, the pooled effect across cohorts was significant (p = .03). In the U.S. cohort, maternal sensitivity predicted longer infant sleep (p = .029). Findings highlight that maternal sensitivity supports infant sleep and underscores the need to support parenting, especially in mothers with early adversity.
K. Pittner, Kristina Meyer, N. Moog et al.· European Child and Adolescen...· 0 citations
