Abstract
Unfavourable intrauterine environmental factors increase the risk of delivery complications as well as postpartum developmental and behavioural problems in children and adolescents with ongoing effects into older age. Biomarker studies show that maternal stress and the use of alcohol and tobacco during pregnancy are associated with a higher intrauterine testosterone exposure of the child. The antenatal testosterone load, in turn, is a risk factor for lasting adverse health effects which extend into adulthood. A 15-week, mindfulness-oriented, app-based programme for the reduction of stress as well as for the reduction of alcohol and tobacco use in pregnant women is established. In the monocentre, prospective, controlled, and investigator-blinded MINDFUL/PMI (Maternal Health and Infant Development in the Follow-up after Pregnancy and a Mindfulness Intervention) study, pregnant women carry out the programme. Its effect on antenatal testosterone exposure of the child is examined by assessing the index/ring finger length ratio and other biomarkers in the 1-year-old children. In addition, the programmeʼs effects on self-regulation, the developmental status and the mental health of the children at the age of one year will be investigated. Additional aspects of the course of the pregnancy and delivery represent exploratory study objectives. This longitudinal study project is intended to improve the understanding of the impact of intrauterine environmental factors on early childhood development and health. Maternal stress as well as alcohol and tobacco use during pregnancy are modifiable factors and represent potential preventive targets.
Highlights
Maternal behaviour and environmental influences during early childhood development have lifelong effects on individual health and disease risks
Biomarker studies show that maternal stress and the use of alcohol and tobacco during pregnancy are associated with a higher intrauterine testosterone exposure of the child
Prospective, controlled, and investigator-blinded MINDFUL/PMI (Maternal Health and Infant Development in the Follow-up after Pregnancy and a Mindfulness Intervention) study, pregnant women carry out the programme
Summary
Maternal behaviour and environmental influences during early childhood development have lifelong effects on individual health and disease risks. The associations described in the previous paragraphs indicate that maternal stress as well as alcohol and tobacco use during pregnancy increase testosterone exposure in children and influence the health of the children for life (▶ Fig. 1). For this model, there is the above reported indirect evidence. This study is subproject 3 of the “IMAC-Mind” consortium supported by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) (“IMAC-Mind: Improving Mental Health and Reducing Addiction in Childhood and Adolescence through Mindfulness: Mechanisms, Prevention and Treatment, TP3: Reducing stress, alcohol and tobacco use in pregnant women to improve the childrens later mental health”; BMBF funding code of subproject 01GL1745C). This is an interdisciplinary project which extends over multiple phases of life
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