Prenatal depression restricts fetal growth.

Early Hum Dev

Touch Research Institutes, Department of Pediatrics, University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33101, USA.

Published: January 2009

Objective: To identify whether prenatal depression is a risk factor for fetal growth restriction.

Methods: Midgestation (18-20 weeks GA) estimated fetal weight and urine cortisol and birthweight and gestational age at birth data were collected on a sample of 40 depressed and 40 non-depressed women. Estimated fetal weight and birthweight data were then used to compute fetal growth rates.

Results: Depressed women had a 13% greater incidence of premature delivery (Odds ratio (OR)=2.61) and 15% greater incidence of low birthweight (OR=4.75) than non-depressed women. Depressed women also had elevated prenatal cortisol levels (p=.006) and fetuses who were smaller (p=.001) and who showed slower fetal growth rates (p=.011) and lower birthweights (p=.008). Mediation analyses further revealed that prenatal maternal cortisol levels were a potential mediator for the relationship between maternal symptoms of depression and both gestational age at birth and the rate of fetal growth. After controlling for maternal demographic variables, prenatal maternal cortisol levels were associated with 30% of the variance in gestational age at birth and 14% of the variance in the rate of fetal growth.

Conclusion: Prenatal depression was associated with adverse perinatal outcomes, including premature delivery and slower fetal growth rates. Prenatal maternal cortisol levels appear to play a role in mediating these outcomes.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2651570PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2008.07.002DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

fetal growth
24
cortisol levels
16
prenatal depression
12
gestational age
12
age birth
12
prenatal maternal
12
maternal cortisol
12
fetal
9
estimated fetal
8
fetal weight
8

Similar Publications

Objectives: The size, shape, and contractility of the heart's atrial chambers have not been evaluated in fetuses with growth restriction (FGR) or who are small-for-gestational-age (SGA) as defined by the Delphi consensus protocol. This study aimed to examine the atrial chambers using speckle tracking analysis to identify any changes that may be specific for either growth disturbance.

Methods: Sixty-three fetuses were evaluated with an estimated fetal weight <10th percentile who were classified as FGR or SGA based on the Delphi consensus protocol.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: To establish a new technique to easily identify the fetal cervix-uterus complex in normal female fetuses from 20 to 40 weeks of gestation.

Material And Methods: The study was performed in routine examination in normal fetuses by two observers. Twenty-five consecutive cases per gestational week were assessed between 20 and 40 weeks.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Selective Fetal Growth Restriction Leading to Cerebral Injury in Monochorionic Twins: A Case Report.

Cureus

December 2024

Neonatology Department, Daniel de Matos Maternity, Coimbra Local Health Unit, Coimbra, PRT.

Monochorionic twin pregnancies carry a risk of perinatal complications due to shared placental anastomoses, which can cause uneven blood distribution and lead to conditions like selective fetal growth restriction (sFGR). This case describes a monochorionic pregnancy complicated by preeclampsia and late-onset sFGR of twin B. Labor was prematurely induced and a 45% weight discordance between the twins was confirmed.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: To evaluate the impact of twin dating by ultrasound-measured crown-rump length (CRL) of the larger (CRL-L), smaller (CRL-S) or mean twin measurement (CRL-M) on the rates of preterm birth (PTB) and detection of small for gestational age (SGA) births.

Design: A retrospective cohort study.

Setting: A tertiary fetal medicine centre (London, UK).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The nutritional environment during fetal and early postnatal life has a long-term impact on growth, development, and metabolic health of the offspring, a process termed "nutritional programming." Rodent models studying programming effects of nutritional interventions use either purified or grain-based rodent diets as background diets. However, the impact of these diets on phenotypic outcomes in these models has not been comprehensively investigated.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!