Allostatic load in early pregnancy is associated with poor sleep quality.

Background: Allostatic load (AL) measures the cumulative impact of chronic stress and is associated with adverse health outcomes. A novel scoring system has previously been developed for AL in early pregnancy that is associated with pre-eclampsia. It was hypothesized that AL, as identified by the present model, is associated with psychosocial stressors and, specifically, poor sleep quality.

Allostatic load in women with a history of low birth weight infants: the national health and nutrition examination survey.

Background: The purpose of our study was to determine whether women of reproductive age with history of low birth weight (LBW) deliveries have higher allostatic load (AL), a measure of the cumulative toll of chronic stress, than those with normal-weight deliveries.

Methods: We used data from women ages 17-35 who responded to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) reproductive-health questionnaire, 1999-2006. Women reported history of LBW infants and those who were preterm.

A potential role for allostatic load in preeclampsia.

Preeclampsia is a multisystemic disorder of pregnancy associated with maternal and fetal complications as well as later-life cardiovascular disease. Its exact cause is not known. We developed a pregnancy-specific multisystem index score of physiologic risk and chronic stress, allostatic load (AL), early in pregnancy.