Pregnancy anxiety, placental corticotropin-releasing hormone and length of gestation.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

High pregnancy anxiety is a consistent predictor of earlier labor and delivery. Placental corticotropin-releasing hormone (pCRH) predicts earlier delivery consistently and it has been identified as a biological mediator of the association between pregnancy anxiety and gestational length. However, studies have not examined whether changes in pregnancy anxiety are associated with earlier birth as mediated by changes in pCRH during pregnancy. Accordingly, this study tests whether linear changes in pregnancy anxiety are associated with length of gestation indirectly through nonlinear increases in pCRH over pregnancy.

Methods

A sample of pregnant women (n=233) completed prenatal assessments in early pregnancy, second trimester, and third trimester that included a 4-item

SUBMITTER: Ramos IF 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10022399 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature