The relationship between maternal anxiety and cortisol during pregnancy and birth weight of chinese neonates.
Fenling Fan, Yuliang Zou, Yushun Zhang, Xiancang Ma, Junbo Zhang, Cai Liu, Jie Li, Meili Pei, Yu Jiang, Anthony M Dart
Author Information
Fenling Fan: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital of Medical College, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, China.
Yuliang Zou: Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, the First Affiliated Hospital of Medical College, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, China. zouyuliangfl@126.com.
Yushun Zhang: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital of Medical College, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, China.
Xiancang Ma: Department of Psychology and Psychiatry, the First Affiliated Hospital of Medical College, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, China.
Junbo Zhang: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital of Medical College, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, China.
Cai Liu: Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, the First Affiliated Hospital of Medical College, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, China.
Jie Li: Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, the First Affiliated Hospital of Medical College, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, China.
Meili Pei: Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, the First Affiliated Hospital of Medical College, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, China.
Yu Jiang: Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, the First Affiliated Hospital of Medical College, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, China.
Anthony M Dart: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, The Alfred, Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, Vic, 3004, Australia. a.dart@alfred.org.au. ORCID
BACKGROUND: To determine the relationship between MaternalAnxiety and cortisol values and birth weight at various stages of pregnancy. METHODS: Two hundred sixteen pregnant Chinese women were assessed for Anxiety and depression and had measurement of morning fasting serum cortisol. women were assessed either in the first (71), second (72) or third (73) trimester. Birth weights of all children were recorded. RESULTS: There were significant negative correlations between Anxiety level and birth weight of -���0.507 (p���<���0.01) and���-���0.275 (p���<���0.05) in trimesters 1and 2. In trimester 3 the negative relation between Anxiety and birth weight of -.209 failed to reach significance (p���=���0.070). There was no relation between depression and birth weight in any trimester (p���>���0.5 for all). Maternalcortisol was significantly inversely related to birth weight in trimester 1 (r���=���-���0.322) and with borderline significance in trimester 2 (r���=���-���0.229). Anxiety score and Maternalcortisol were significantly correlated in each trimester (r���=���0.551, 0.650, 0.537). When both Anxiety score and Maternalcortisol were simultaneously included in multiple regression analyses only Anxiety score remained significant. CONCLUSION: Whilst both MaternalAnxiety score and Maternalcortisol are inversely related to birth weight the associations with Anxiety score were more robust perhaps indicating the importance of mechanisms other than, or in addition to, Maternalcortisol in mediating the effects of Anxiety. The findings indicate the importance of measures to reduce MaternalAnxiety, particularly of a severe degree, at all stages of pregnancy. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the 1st Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University.
