There is growing evidence that maternal prenatal stress may be hazardous to infant health. Changes in maternal hormonal and immune function as a result of stress may adversely affect the immune function and neurodevelopment of the fetus. Prenatal stress in the mother may produce lasting effects on the 1) infant's health status, 2) development and function of the infant's immune system, and 3) neurocognitive development of the infant. This article provides a synthesis of current human and animal literature on the effects of maternal prenatal stress on the developing fetus and the infant, with the resulting model evolving out of the framework of psychoneuroimmunology. The intent of the authors is an integrative review. The authors examined the following research question: What effect does maternal prenatal stress have on infants' immune development and neurodevelopment? All relevant studies were reviewed with no exclusion criteria. Major databases (CINAHL, MEDLINE, PsychINFO) were searched using a combination of the following key words: prenatal stress, cytokines, thymus, and infant neurodevelopment. Key words: infant outcomes, prenatal stress, psychneuroimmunology, theoretical model.
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| Effects_of_Maternal_Stress_on_Infant_Outcomes.pdf | 937.65 KB |
The purpose of this study is to evaluate psychological changes in women of three minority ethnic groups in a program of psychosocial services that promoted positive cognitive adaptation in childbearing throughout pregnancy and the postpartum period. In this prospective longitudinal study, both cognitive adaptation and generalized stress were measured at each trimester of pregnancy as well as after birth and three months postpartum. The mean scores of each time are compared with first trimester scores for women in the program and then with scores for comparable women in a cross-sectional sample tested before the program. For women in the program, results of the psychological adaptation measures and the stress meansured had improved from their first trimester value by the time of birth. Stress levels of owmen in the program were less than for women in the corresponding comparison sample from the third trimester on. Enhanced perinatal services that include interventions and monitoring strategies aimed at improving the cognitive adaptation of women to childbearing are important in promoting stress reduction in women and infants.
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| cognitive adaptation.pdf | 2.24 MB |