Effects of maternal anxiety and depression on fetal neuro-development

Reissland, N.; Froggatt, S.; Reames, E.; Girkin, J.

Abstract

Background: Fetal development is affected by maternal mental health with research indicating that maternal anxiety and depression are co-morbid; nevertheless differential effects on the fetus have been found. This study examines, prenatally, effects of maternal stress, anxiety and depression on fetal eye-blink reactions to experimental sound and light stimulation. Methods: Two groups of singleton fetuses (mean 32-weeks gestation) were examined using 4D ultrasound: a control group (N= 14, 7 female) with no stimulation and an experimental group (N=21, 13 female) exposed to experimental sound, light and cross-modal stimulation. For both groups ultrasound scans were performed and fetal eye-blink was assessed. Mothers completed the Hospital-Anxiety-and-Depression Scale and the Perceived-Stress Scale. Analysis was carried out using Poisson mixed effects modelling. Results: Fetal eye-blink rate during experimental stimulation was significantly and differentially associated with maternal mental health with a 20% increase of fetal eye-blink rate for each unit increase in anxiety score (p=0.02) and a decrease of 21% of eye blink rate for each unit of increase in depression score (p=0.02). Sound stimulation but not light stimulation significantly affected blink-rate with fetuses habituating to the stimuli (p<0.001). Limitations: Limitations are the relatively small number of fetuses and that a follow up after birth is essential to establish potential long-term effects. Conclusions: Of clinical importance is the finding that although fetuses are affected by maternal mental health in general here we demonstrate, using eye-blink-rate during stimulation as measure of neuro-development, that fetuses are differentially affected by maternal anxiety and depression with anxiety increasing and depression decreasing fetal reactivity significantly.

Citation

Reissland, N., Froggatt, S., Reames, E., & Girkin, J. (2018). Effects of maternal anxiety and depression on fetal neuro-development. Journal of Affective Disorders, 241, 469-474. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2018.08.047

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Aug 12, 2018
• Online Publication Date: Aug 13, 2018
• Publication Date: Dec 1, 2018
• Deposit Date: Aug 14, 2018
• Publicly Available Date: Aug 13, 2019
• Journal: Journal of Affective Disorders
• Print ISSN: 0165-0327
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 241
• Pages: 469-474
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2018.08.047
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1317592