Prenatal maternal psychopathology and stress and offspring HPA axis function at 6 years

Many intrauterine exposures are known to influence the physical and mental health of the offspring (Barker, 2004; Van den Bergh, 2011). Maternal psychopathology and stress during pregnancy are among the most common intrauterine exposures associated with a negative impact on the offspring ’s health (Ding et al., 2014; Woody et al., 2017). Exposure to maternal psychopathology or stress during pregnancy is associated with preterm birth and low birth weight (Grote et al., 2010). In the long-term, maternal psychopathology or stress during pregnancy is related to behavioral, emotional, cognitive and motor problems in childhood (Field, 2011; Goodman et al., 2011) and psychiatric disorders in adolescence (Pearson et al., 2013; Van den Bergh et al., 2008).

Source: Psychoneuroendocrinology - September 7, 2018 Category: Psychiatry Authors: N.M. Molenaar, H. Tiemeier, E.F.C. van Rossum, M.H.J. Hillegers, C.L.H. Bockting, W.J.G. Hoogendijk, E.L. van den Akker, M.P. Lambregtse-van den Berg, H. El Marroun Source Type: research