Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41703484›Full record

ArticleBMC pregnancy and childbirth2026

Association of depressive and/or pregnancy-related anxiety symptoms in pregnancy with maternal and neonatal biologic aging.

Danielle M Panelli, Katherine Bianco, Sheryl L Rifas-Shiman, Emily Oken, Marie-France Hivert, Ixel Hernandez-Castro, Gary M Shaw, Andres Cardenas

Abstract read
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Article in BMC pregnancy and childbirth, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

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2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Danielle M PanelliDivision of Maternal-Fetal Medicine and Obstetrics, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA. dpanelli@stanford.edu.
Katherine BiancoDivision of Maternal-Fetal Medicine and Obstetrics, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
Sheryl L Rifas-ShimanDivision of Chronic Disease Research Across the Lifecourse, Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Boston, MA, USA.
Emily OkenDivision of Chronic Disease Research Across the Lifecourse, Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Boston, MA, USA.
Marie-France HivertDivision of Chronic Disease Research Across the Lifecourse, Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Boston, MA, USA.
Ixel Hernandez-CastroDepartment of Epidemiology and Population Health, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
Gary M ShawDepartment of Pediatrics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
Andres CardenasDepartment of Epidemiology and Population Health, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.

Funding

PRENATAL AND POSTNATAL EXPOSURE TO ENVIRONMENTAL MIXTURES: NEURODEVELOPMENT AND DNA METHYLATION BIOMARKERSR01ES031259 · NIEHS · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA BERKELEY · PI CARDENAS, ANDRES · 2020 to 2024
$1.9M
Leveraging psychobiologic markers of stress to reduce severe maternal morbidity in pregnant women with mental illnessK23HD113845 · NICHD · STANFORD UNIVERSITY · PI Danielle Mari Panelli · 2024 to 2026
$497k
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development 1K23HD113845National Institute of Child Health and Human Development R01HD034568NICHD NIH HHS K23 HD113845NIEHS NIH HHS R01ES031259Office of the Director, National Institutes of Health UH3OD023286
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPrenatal depression and anxiety affect nearly 20% of individuals, and emerging evidence links psychological distress to accelerated biological aging. However, the joint effects of depressive and anxiety symptoms on biological aging in mother-infant dyads are understudied. We investigated associations of prenatal maternal depressive and/or pregnancy-related anxiety symptoms with two markers of biological aging [leukocyte telomere length (LTL) and mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNAcn)], in maternal blood and neonatal cord blood.

methodsThis was a secondary analysis of a prospective cohort of mother-infant dyads enrolled 1999–2002 during their first prenatal visit to a multispecialty practice in Massachusetts. Participants were eligible if they were carrying a singleton gestation, English-speaking, and under 22 weeks gestational age. The exposure was prenatal depressive symptoms (Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale [EPDS] ≥ 13) and/or pregnancy-related anxiety (PrAS moderate-high), grouped into four mutually exclusive categories: 1) low anxiety and low depressive symptoms (referent); 2) high depressive symptoms alone; 3) moderate-high PrAS alone; 4) and both. The primary outcome was maternal and neonatal markers of biological aging and oxidative stress (LTL and mtDNAcn), measured from maternal (1st or 2nd trimester) and neonatal (cord) blood and calculated using quantitative PCR. Multivariable linear generalized estimating equation regression models were used to assess the relationship between prenatal mental health symptoms and maternal/neonatal biological aging/oxidative stress, adjusting for confounders.

resultsAmong 751 pregnancies, 479 (64%) had low pregnancy-related anxiety and low depressive symptoms, 33 (4%) had high depressive symptoms alone, 209 (28%) had moderate-high PrAS alone, and 30 (4%) had both. High depressive symptoms alone and moderate-high PrAS were each associated with shorter maternal LTL [ß = -0.07, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) -0.13, -0.02 for depressive; ß = -0.04, 95% CI -0.08, -0.01 for PrAS]. Mothers with depressive symptoms alone also had higher neonatal cord blood mtDNAcn (ß = 0.11, 95% CI 0.01, 0.21).

conclusionsPrenatal symptoms of depression or pregnancy-related anxiety were independently associated with molecular signatures of accelerated biologic aging in mothers and their neonates. These findings underscore that perinatal mental health symptoms exert measurable biological effects that could influence long-term health trajectories, and reinforce the urgent need for comprehensive mental health care during pregnancy.

Indexed as

AgingAnxietyDepressionPregnancy ComplicationsAdultBiomarkersDNA Copy Number VariationsDNA, MitochondrialFemaleFetal BloodHumansInfant, NewbornLeukocytesMassachusettsOxidative StressPregnancyBiomarkersDNA, MitochondrialAnxietyBiologic agingDepressionMental healthMitochondriaPregnancyTelomeres

Identifiers

PMID41703484
PMCPMC13014748

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.