Stress, anxiety and depression during pregnancy may hinder toddler's
cognitive development

Date:
April 29, 2022
Source:
Children's National Hospital
Summary:
Women's elevated anxiety, depression and stress during pregnancy
altered key features of the fetal brain, which subsequently
decreased their offspring's cognitive development at 18
months. These changes also increased internalizing and dysregulation
behaviors, according to a new study. Researchers followed a cohort
of 97 pregnant women and their babies. The findings further suggest
that persistent psychological distress after the baby is born may
influence the parent-child interaction and infant self-regulation.



FULL STORY ========================================================================== Women's elevated anxiety, depression and stress during pregnancy altered
key features of the fetal brain, which subsequently decreased their
offspring's cognitive development at 18 months. These changes also
increased internalizing and dysregulation behaviors, according to a
new study by Children's National Hospital published in JAMA Network
Open. Researchers followed a cohort of 97 pregnant women and their
babies. The findings further suggest that persistent psychological
distress after the baby is born may influence the parent-child interaction
and infant self-regulation.


==========================================================================
This is the first study to shed light on an important link between altered
in- utero fetal brain development and the long-term cognitive development consequences for fetuses exposed to high levels of toxic stress during pregnancy. While in the womb, the researchers observed changes in
the sulcal depth and left hippocampal volume, which could explain the neurodevelopment issues seen after birth. Once they grow into toddlers,
these children may experience persistent social-emotional problems
and have difficulty establishing positive relationships with others,
including their mothers. To further confirm this, future studies with
a larger sample size that reflect more regions and populations are needed.

"By identifying the pregnant women with elevated levels of psychological distress, clinicians could recognize those babies who are at risk
for later neurodevelopmental impairment and might benefit from early,
targeted interventions," said Catherine Limperopoulos, Ph.D., chief and director of the Developing Brain Institute at Children's National and
senior author of the study.

Regardless of their socioeconomic status, about one of every four pregnant women suffers from stress-related symptoms, the most common pregnancy complication. The relationship between altered fetal brain development, prenatal maternal psychological distress and long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes remain unknown. Studying in utero fetal brain development poses challenges due to fetal and maternal movements, imaging technology,
signal-to- noise ratio issues and changes in brain growth.

All pregnant participants were healthy, most had some level of
education and were employed. To quantify prenatal maternal stress,
anxiety and depression, the researchers used validated self-reported questionnaires. Fetal brain volumes and cortical folding were measured
from three-dimensional reconstructed images derived from MRI scans. Fetal
brain creatine and choline were quantified using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The 18-month child neurodevelopment was measured using
validated scales and assessments.

This study builds upon previous work from the Developing Brain Institute
led by Limperopoulos, which discovered that anxiety in pregnant women
appears to affect the brain development of their babies. Her team also
found that maternal mental health, even for women with high socioeconomic status, alters the structure and biochemistry of the developing fetal
brain. The growing evidence underscores the importance of mental health
support for pregnant women.

"We're looking at shifting the health care paradigm and adopting these
changes more broadly to better support moms," said Limperopoulos. "What's
clear is early interventions could help moms reduce their stress,
which can positively impact their symptoms and thereby their baby long
after birth."

========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by Children's_National_Hospital. Note:
Content may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Yao Wu, Kristina M. Espinosa, Scott D. Barnett. Association
of Elevated
Maternal Psychological Distress, Altered Fetal Brain, and Offspring
Cognitive and Social-Emotional Outcomes at 18 Months. JAMA Network,
2022 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.9244 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/04/220429144916.htm

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