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Abstract
There is evidence of transmission of stress-related dysregulation from parents to offspring during early developmental stages, leading to adverse health outcomes. This study investigates whether perinatal stress is linked to the risk of infectious diseases in children aged 7–11 years. We hypothesize that stress exposure during pregnancy and the first 6 months after birth independently predict common infectious diseases. Data are obtained from ELSPAC-CZ, a prospective birth cohort. Maternal stress, operationalized as the number of life events, is examined for pregnancy and the first 6 months postpartum. Children’s diseases include eye infection, ear infection, bronchitis/lung infection, laryngitis, strep throat, cold sores, and flu/flu-like infection. More prenatal and postnatal life events are both independently linked to a higher number of infectious diseases between the ages of 7–11 years. The effect is larger for postnatal vs. prenatal events, and the effect of prenatal events is attenuated after maternal health in pregnancy is controlled. The results suggest that perinatal stress is linked to susceptibility to infectious diseases in school-age children. Interventions to address stress in pregnant and postpartum women may benefit long-term children’s health.
Acknowledgments
The authors of this study wish to thank the participating families as well as the gynecologists, pediatricians, school heads and class teachers who took part in the project. Our thanks also go to Lubomír Kukla, Ph.D., ELSPAC national coordinator 1990–2012, and the entire ELSPAC team. The authors of this study (i.e., not the ELSPAC Scientific Council) are responsible for the content of this publication.
Ethics approval and consent to participate
ELSPAC-CZ was approved by the Scientific Committee of Masaryk University. All participants provided written informed consent.
Data availability statement
ELSPAC-CZ data can be requested via http://www.elspac.cz/index-en.php?pg=professionals.
Additional information
Funding
Notes on contributors
Irena Stepanikova
Irena Stepanikova is an Associate Professor of Sociology. She specializes in medical sociology, social psychology, and social determinants of health.
Elizabeth Baker
Elizabeth Baker is an Associate Professor of Sociology. Her background is in demography and her research focuses on health and health disparities among children and adolescents.
Gabriela Oates
Gabriela Oates is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Pediatric Pulmonology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Her research is focused on the social determinants of health and their implications for health-related behaviors and outcomes in chronic respiratory diseases.
Sanjeev Acharya
Sanjeev Acharya is a PhD student in Sociology Department at University of Alabama at Birmingham. His current research interests include nutrition transition and health inequalities in developing countries.
Jalal Uddin
Jalal Uddin is a PhD candidate in Medical Sociology. His current research interests include childhood adversity, intersectionality, life course stress process, and chronic conditions. He also has keen interests in gender, women's power relations, and maternal and child health in the developing countries.
Vojtech Thon
Vojtech Thon is a Professor of Medicine at Masaryk University. He specializes in Clinical Immunology and Allergology.
Jan Svancara
Jan Švancara is a data analyst and a PhD student at Masaryk University in Brno. His background is in sociology and he is focused mainly on analysis of longitudinal data and epidemiology.
Lubomir Kukla
Lubomír Kukla is an Associate Professor of Paediatrics. His background is in public health for children. His research focuses on health and psychosocial aspects of health of children and adolescents.