Dr Leo Leader (University of New South Wales) presented his teams fascinating studies investigating maternal stress during pregnancy and the effects on infant neurodevelopmental outcomes. Maternal stress and anxiety are associated with increased rates of preterm birth, reduced birth weight and impaired neurodevelopment in infants.
Dr Leader presented a maternal stress study in pregnant women, which evaluated maternal physiology during stress, and the correlation between fetal movement and fetal cardiovascular function. Whilst watching distressing scenes from the film ‘Sophie’s Choice’ mothers who were affected emotionally by the film had elevated heart rate and variability which was also apparent in the fetus. Control women who watched a non-distressing film about the construction of Canberra did not display changes in heart rate or cardiovascular physiology and nor did the fetus.
Dr Leader also presented a long term follow up study of infants with mothers who were moderately anxious or stressed during pregnancy. The ‘still face’ test of maternal sensitivity and salivary cortisol levels were measured in babies at 6 months of age. Neurodevelopment tests such as the Bailey Development Score were also measured at 18 and 36 months of age. Maternal sensitivity was not different between anxious and non- anxious mothers. Infant cortisol levels were significantly altered in children of anxious mothers and mental development was also impaired at 18 and 36 months of age. Additionally, male children of anxious mothers had poorer outcomes than females. Dr Leader concluded that differences in function of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis originate before birth and are affected by maternal stress or anxiety during pregnancy as well as infant sex.
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