Moderate antenatal anxiety symptoms and birth outcomes of boys and girls

Abstract

Women’s antenatal anxiety, especially if paired with significant life stressors or comorbid physical or mental health disorders, can predict adverse birth outcomes, defined in terms of birth weight, gestational age at birth and obstetric complications. Here, we tested for an impact of moderate anxiety symptoms on these outcomes because many women experience these kinds of symptoms during pregnancy, and even subtle differences in birth outcomes can have significant effects on children’s development. We also tested for moderation of anxiety effects by infant gender. The sample comprised 219 women with anxiety symptoms ranging from none to moderate levels on the Beck Anxiety Inventory. Multivariate models estimated main effects of Group (no/minimal versus moderate symptoms) and interactions between Group and infant Gender. Results indicate that moderate anxiety predicted more obstetric complications, particularly among mothers of daughters. Results also demonstrate a Group × Gender interaction on BW, indicating that sons of anxious mothers weighed more than sons of controls; whereas, daughters of anxious mothers weighed less than daughters of controls. These findings show that moderate anxiety symptoms may affect some birth outcomes, and differently for males and females.

• Antenatal anxiety
• birth outcomes
• fetal programming
• fetus
• gender

Acknowledgements

All authors contributed equally to the study. We thank the project coordinators (Nomi Ban, Sara Burstin, Polly Hyams Sherman and Mika Inbar) and the interviewers and recruiters (Linor Tzumer, Nurit Almagor, Noa Bar Ziv, Ortal Bhoknik, Noa Gohar, Irit Goldner, Yael Hassid, Yael Millgram, Dana Nozik, Avital Tessler and Amit Yehudian) who worked on this project. We appreciate the administrative assistance of Nathan Bellinson, Gail DePalma, Ruth Fisch, Shelly Friedman, Gal Nassi-Abrass and Elinor Slater. We are indebted to the women who participated in the study.