Social disadvantage during pregnancy: effects on gestational age and birthweight.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

Whether psychosocial adversity during pregnancy impacts fetal health outcomes at birth remains underexplored. This is a critical issue given significant social disadvantage and psychosocial stress faced by pregnant women worldwide.

Study design

Measures of social disadvantage and psychological factors, and medical/reproductive and nutritional health status in pregnant women were obtained at each trimester. Using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), we investigated the relationship of forms of adversity to each other and to infant gestational age, and birthweight.

Results

Among 399 singletons, Social Disadvantage significantly predicted gestational age (p = 0.003), and residual birthweight (p = 0.006). There was a 0.4 week decrease in gestational age and a 3%

SUBMITTER: Luby JL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10079545 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature