Prenatal Maternal Anxiety and Children's Brain Structure and Function: A Systematic Review of Neuroimaging Studies

Mental illness is common prenatally and postpartum, with up to 25% of women experiencing a pathological level of stress, anxiety, and/or depression during the perinatal period (Kingston  et al., 2012). Mental illness during and after pregnancy can impact the fetus and child, with effects including lower Apgar scores in newborns, increased emotional problems, and risk for mental health difficulties in children and adolescents (Stein et al., 2014). Prenatal anxiety disorders spec ifically increase the likelihood of premature birth and low birthweight infants (Rondo et al., 2003; Wadhwa et al., 1993), negatively affecting children's physical, neurological, and cognitive development.
Source: Journal of Affective Disorders - Category: Neurology Authors: Tags: Review article Source Type: research