Associations of prenatal maternal psychosocial stress and depression with neurodevelopmental outcomes in 7.5-month-old infants in the ECHO.CA.IL prospective birth cohorts
Nicholas Cragoe , Jenna Sprowles , Stephanie M. Eick , Lynn Harvey , Xavier R. Ramirez , Gloria Arroyo Sugg , Rachel Morello-Frosch , Tracey Woodruff , Susan L. Schantz
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Abstract
Background
Exposure to maternal stress and depression during pregnancy can have a marked impact on birth outcomes and child development, escalating the likelihood of preterm birth, lower birth weight, and various domains of physical and neurodevelopment.
Methods
The joint ECHO.CA.IL cohort is comprised of the Chemicals in Our Bodies (CIOB) and Illinois Kids Development Study (IKIDS) prospective cohorts, recruiting pregnant women in San Francisco, CA, and Urbana-Champaign, IL, respectively. Using a combined sample of 428 mother-infant dyads, we examined associations between two prenatal measures of maternal stress (perceived stress (PSS) and stressful events (SLE)), as well as maternal depression, and five domains of neurodevelopment via the Ages & Stages Questionnaire (ASQ) administered at 7.5 months. Linear regression models were adjusted for relevant demographic characteristics and used to identify patterns of association.
Results
CIOB mothers were comparatively racially/ethnically diverse (52 % white, 28 % Asian American/Pacific Islander, 12 % Hispanic), while IKIDS mothers were disproportionately white (80 %). Both cohorts demonstrated high levels of maternal education and were similar in terms of other demographic characteristics. CIOB mothers reported higher levels of stress (e.g., SLE: 49.63 % report ≥1 event) compared to IKIDS mothers (e.g., SLE: 16.34 % report ≥1 event). In adjusted linear models, patterns of association were nearly uniformly negative between stress and ASQ measures, with associations between PSS and fine motor skills (β-0.26, CI = -0.52; 0.00) and SLEs and communication skills (β = −2.9245, CI = -6.1643; 0.3152) showing the strongest associations (p < 0.1). Depression showed no significant or clear pattern of association with ASQ scores.
Conclusion
This study found negative associations between prenatal maternal stress and infant neurodevelopment in the combined ECHO.CA.IL cohort, suggesting that prenatal stress is associated with delayed development of motor and communication skills during infancy. The inconclusive links between maternal depression and ASQ outcomes leave open the question regarding the influence of prenatal depression on early child neurodevelopment.
期刊介绍：
Neurotoxicology and Teratology provides a forum for publishing new information regarding the effects of chemical and physical agents on the developing, adult or aging nervous system. In this context, the fields of neurotoxicology and teratology include studies of agent-induced alterations of nervous system function, with a focus on behavioral outcomes and their underlying physiological and neurochemical mechanisms. The Journal publishes original, peer-reviewed Research Reports of experimental, clinical, and epidemiological studies that address the neurotoxicity and/or functional teratology of pesticides, solvents, heavy metals, nanomaterials, organometals, industrial compounds, mixtures, drugs of abuse, pharmaceuticals, animal and plant toxins, atmospheric reaction products, and physical agents such as radiation and noise. These reports include traditional mammalian neurotoxicology experiments, human studies, studies using non-mammalian animal models, and mechanistic studies in vivo or in vitro. Special Issues, Reviews, Commentaries, Meeting Reports, and Symposium Papers provide timely updates on areas that have reached a critical point of synthesis, on aspects of a scientific field undergoing rapid change, or on areas that present special methodological or interpretive problems. Theoretical Articles address concepts and potential mechanisms underlying actions of agents of interest in the nervous system. The Journal also publishes Brief Communications that concisely describe a new method, technique, apparatus, or experimental result.
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