Journal article
Expectant Mothers Maximizing Opportunities: Maternal Characteristics Moderate Multifactorial Prenatal Stress in the Prediction of Birth Weight in a Sample of Children Adopted at Birth
PloS one, Vol.10(11), pp.e0141881-e0141881
2015
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0141881
PMCID: PMC4636431
PMID: 26544958
Abstract
Mothers' stress in pregnancy is considered an environmental risk factor in child development. Multiple stressors may combine to increase risk, and maternal personal characteristics may offset the effects of stress. This study aimed to test the effect of 1) multifactorial prenatal stress, integrating objective "stressors" and subjective "distress" and 2) the moderating effects of maternal characteristics (perceived social support, self-esteem and specific personality traits) on infant birthweight.
Hierarchical regression modeling was used to examine cross-sectional data on 403 birth mothers and their newborns from an adoption study.
Distress during pregnancy showed a statistically significant association with birthweight (R2 = 0.032, F(2, 398) = 6.782, p = .001). The hierarchical regression model revealed an almost two-fold increase in variance of birthweight predicted by stressors as compared with distress measures (R2Δ = 0.049, F(4, 394) = 5.339, p < .001). Further, maternal characteristics moderated this association (R2Δ = 0.031, F(4, 389) = 3.413, p = .009). Specifically, the expected benefit to birthweight as a function of higher SES was observed only for mothers with lower levels of harm-avoidance and higher levels of perceived social support. Importantly, the results were not better explained by prematurity, pregnancy complications, exposure to drugs, alcohol or environmental toxins.
The findings support multidimensional theoretical models of prenatal stress. Although both objective stressors and subjectively measured distress predict birthweight, they should be considered distinct and cumulative components of stress. This study further highlights that jointly considering risk factors and protective factors in pregnancy improves the ability to predict birthweight.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Expectant Mothers Maximizing Opportunities: Maternal Characteristics Moderate Multifactorial Prenatal Stress in the Prediction of Birth Weight in a Sample of Children Adopted at Birth
- Creators
- Line Brotnow - Yale Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States of AmericaDavid Reiss - Yale Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States of AmericaCarla S Stover - Dept. of Mental Health Law & Policy, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States of AmericaJody Ganiban - Dept. of Psychology, George Washington University, Washington DC, United States of AmericaLeslie D Leve - Dept. of Counseling Psychology & Human Services, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, United States of AmericaJenae M Neiderhiser - Dept. of Psychology, Penn State University, University Park, PA, United States of AmericaDaniel S Shaw - Dept. of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of AmericaHanna E Stevens - Yale Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States of America
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- PloS one, Vol.10(11), pp.e0141881-e0141881
- DOI
- 10.1371/journal.pone.0141881
- PMID
- 26544958
- PMCID
- PMC4636431
- NLM abbreviation
- PLoS One
- ISSN
- 1932-6203
- eISSN
- 1932-6203
- Publisher
- Public Library of Science; United States
- Grant note
- UL1 TR000142 / NCATS NIH HHS R56 HD042608 / NICHD NIH HHS R01 HD042608 / NICHD NIH HHS R01 DA020585 / NIDA NIH HHS R25 MH077823 / NIMH NIH HHS
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 2015
- Academic Unit
- Psychiatry; Stead Family Department of Pediatrics; Iowa Neuroscience Institute
- Record Identifier
- 9984003971702771
Metrics
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