Disaster-related prenatal maternal stress influences birth outcomes: project Ice Storm |
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Authors: | Dancause Kelsey N Laplante David P Oremus Carolina Fraser Sarah Brunet Alain King Suzanne |
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Institution: | a Douglas Hospital Research Center, 6875 LaSalle Blvd., Verdun QC, Canada H4H 1R3b McGill University, 845 Sherbrooke St. W., Montreal QC, Canada H3A 2T5c St. Joseph''s Healthcare, Hamilton ON, Canada L9C 3N6d Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, 3999 Côte-Sainte-Catherine, Montreal QC, Canada H3T 1E2 |
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Abstract: | BackgroundPrevious research suggests that prenatal maternal stress (PNMS) impacts birth outcomes, but many human studies cannot distinguish between the effects of different types of stressors or examine effects of exposure timing on outcomes.ObjectivesOur goal was to determine how timing and severity of exposure during pregnancy to objective and subjective stress due to a natural disaster influenced gestation length and fetal growth patterns.MethodsWe assessed objective and subjective PNMS levels among 172 women exposed to an ice storm during or shortly before pregnancy. We analyzed associations between PNMS levels and outcomes (gestation length, birth weight, birth length, head circumference, and growth ratios), controlling for other variables such as age, obstetric complications, socioeconomic status, and trait anxiety.ResultsGestation lengths and predicted birth weights were shorter among participants exposed to the ice storm during early to mid pregnancy, compared to 3 rd trimester and pre-pregnancy exposure. Birth lengths were shorter in the sample compared to population references, and predicted values were shorter among participants with a “discrepancy” between their objective and subjective PNMS levels. High objective PNMS levels predicted smaller head circumferences in early pregnancy, but we also observed patterns in predicted values of head circumference to birth length ratios suggesting the sparing of brain development relative to birth length among boys in early pregnancy. These sparing effects decreased in later pregnancy.ConclusionsExposure to stressful events during pregnancy influences birth outcomes independently of other factors. Exposure timing, newborn sex, and the type of stressor influence the effects observed. |
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Keywords: | PNMS (prenatal maternal stress) SES (socioeconomic status) IES-R (Impact of Events Scale Revised) GHQ (General Health Questionnaire) LES (Life Experiences Survey) |
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