ArticlePloS one2018
Prenatal stress and child development: A scoping review of research in low- and middle-income countries.
Article in PloS one, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 22 papers.
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Who cites it
22 citing papers in PubMed.
- Social Support and Spousal Relationship Quality Improves Responsiveness among Anxious Mothers.Child psychiatry and human development · 2026Article
- Hierarchical-Circular Model of Biological Memory: an integrative framework for pathogenesis and allostasis in neurodevelopmental disorders.Frontiers in behavioral neuroscience · 2026Article
- Advancing research on greenspace and climate-sensitive adverse birth outcomes for equity and impact.Environmental epidemiology (Philadelphia, Pa.) · 2024Article
- Article
- Vitamin D levels of pregnant immigrant women and developmental disorders of language, learning and coordination in offspring.PloS one · 2024Article
- The feasibility and acceptability of Project POWER: a mindfulness-infused, cognitive-behavioral group intervention to address mental and sexual health needs of young pregnant women in Liberia.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2023Article
- Evaluation of a Child-centred Psychosocial Healthcare Intervention (KIDPROTEKT) - Results of a Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial in Paediatric and Gynaecologic Practices.Psychosocial intervention · 2023Article
- Influence of perinatal distress on adverse birth outcomes: A prospective study in the Tigray region, northern Ethiopia.PloS one · 2023Article
- Repetitive negative thinking during pregnancy and postpartum: Associations with mental health, inflammation, and breastfeeding.Journal of affective disorders · 2022Article
- Common model of stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms in pregnant women from seven high-income Western countries at the COVID-19 pandemic onset.Social science & medicine (1982) · 2022Article
- The influence of maternal anxiety and cortisol during pregnancy on childhood anxiety symptoms.Psychoneuroendocrinology · 2022Article
- Pre-Birth Household Challenges Predict Future Child's School Readiness and Academic Achievement.Children (Basel, Switzerland) · 2022Article
- Behavioral Inhibition in the Second Year of Life Is Predicted by Prenatal Maternal Anxiety, Overprotective Parenting and Infant Temperament in Early Infancy.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2022Article
- Prenatal attachment: using measurement invariance to test the validity of comparisons across eight culturally diverse countries.Archives of women's mental health · 2021Article
- Article
- Born Under COVID-19 Pandemic Conditions: Infant Regulatory Problems and Maternal Mental Health at 7 Months Postpartum.Frontiers in psychology · 2021Article
- Variations in Relationships Between Perceived Stress and Birth Outcomes by Immigration Status.Maternal and child health journal · 2020Article
- Maternal exposure to childhood traumatic events, but not multi-domain psychosocial stressors, predict placental corticotrophin releasing hormone across pregnancy.Social science & medicine (1982) · 2020Article
- Maternal influences on fetal brain development: The role of nutrition, infection and stress, and the potential for intergenerational consequences.Early human development · 2020Review
- Relationships between Prenatal Distress and Infant Body Mass Index in the First Year of Life in a Lower-Middle Income Country.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2020Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
8 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionPast research has shown relationships between stress during pregnancy, and related psychosocial health measures such as anxiety and depressive symptoms, with infant, child, and adult outcomes. However, most research is from high-income countries. We conducted a scoping review to identify research studies on prenatal stress and outcomes of the pregnancy or offspring in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), and to synthesize the stress measures and outcomes assessed, the findings observed, and directions for future research.
methodsWe searched PubMed, Scopus, and PsycINFO for English-language abstracts published from Jan 1960-Jan 2017. Search terms were related to stress and psychosocial health; pregnancy; infant or child development; and LMICs.
results48 articles were identified. Sixty percent of studies were in upper-middle, 25% in lower-middle, and 15% in low income countries. Most studies used questionnaires, either existing or tailor-made, to assess stress. Eight assessed cortisol. Most studies (n = 31) assessed infant outcomes at birth, particularly gestational age or preterm birth (n = 22, 12 showing significant relationships), and birthweight (n = 21, 14 showing significant relationships). Five studies analyzed outcomes later in infancy such as temperament and motor development, all showing significant results; and nine in childhood such as behavioral development, asthma, and physical growth, with eight showing significant results.
conclusionsResults highlight the importance of prenatal stress on infant and child outcomes in LMICs. Methods used in high-income countries are successfully employed in LMICs, but tailored tools remain necessary. Careful assessment of covariates is needed to foster analyses of interactive effects and pathways. Studies including longer-term follow-up should be prioritized.
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