Abstract
We examined whether Research Domain Criteria (RDoC)-informed measures of prenatal stress predicted newborn neurobehavior and whether these effects differed by newborn sex. Multilevel, prenatal markers of prenatal stress were obtained from 162 pregnant women. Markers of the Negative Valence System included physiological functioning (respiratory sinus arrhythmia [RSA] and electrodermal [EDA] reactivity to a speech task, hair cortisol), self-reported stress (state anxiety, pregnancy-specific anxiety, daily stress, childhood trauma, economic hardship, and family resources), and interviewer-rated stress (episodic stress, chronic stress). Markers of the Arousal/Regulatory System included physiological functioning (baseline RSA, RSA, and EDA responses to infant cries) and self-reported affect intensity, urgency, emotion regulation strategies, and dispositional mindfulness. Newborns' arousal and attention were assessed via the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) Network Neurobehavioral Scale. Path analyses showed that high maternal episodic and daily stress, low economic hardship, few emotion regulation strategies, and high baseline RSA predicted female newborns' low attention; maternal mindfulness predicted female newborns' high arousal. As for male newborns, high episodic stress predicted low arousal, and high pregnancy-specific anxiety predicted high attention. Findings suggest that RDoC-informed markers of prenatal stress could aid detection of variance in newborn neurobehavioral outcomes within hours after birth. Implications for intergenerational transmission of risk for psychopathology are discussed.
Highlights
ParticipantsPregnant women were recruited from obstetrics and gynecology clinics affiliated with the University of Utah and local communities through flyers, brochures, advertisements, and postings on social media
Identifying prenatal factors that may confer susceptibility for problematic offspring outcomes has far-reaching health and social implications
We examined whether constructs related to prenatal stress that are from two Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) domains – Negative Valence Systems and Arousal/Regulatory Systems – predicted newborn neurobehavior
Summary
Pregnant women were recruited from obstetrics and gynecology clinics affiliated with the University of Utah and local communities through flyers, brochures, advertisements, and postings on social media. The final sample included 162 pregnant women who were on average 29 years old (range 18–40). The majority of women (79%) self-identified as White (25.3% Hispanic White), 9.3% as Asian, 6.1% as multiracial, and the rest (5.5%) as American Indian/ Alaskan Native, Hawaiian Native/Pacific Islander, or Black/ African American. Newborn neurobehavior was assessed between 1 day and 20 days after delivery (Mdays = 2.3, Mdndays = 1.0, SD = 3.2, range: 1–20 days). Six newborns were assessed outside of above time window (range = 28–59 days) due to scheduling difficulties. Average gestational age at time of delivery was 275 days (range = 239–290 days). Based on mothers’ reports, 73.5% of the infants were White (24.1% Hispanic White), 21% were multiracial (5.6% Hispanic multiracial), 2.5% were Asian, and the remainder were Black/African American, American Indian/Alaskan Native, or Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
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