Prenatal maternal stress was not associated with birthweight or gestational age at birth during COVID-19 restrictions in Australia: The BITTOC longitudinal cohort study

Miriam E. Gladstone; Vincent Paquin; Mia A. McLean; Belinda Lequertier; Guillaume Elgbeili; Sue Kildea; Chloe Klimos; Suzanne King; Hannah G. Dahlen

doi:10.1111/ajo.13673

Prenatal maternal stress was not associated with birthweight or gestational age at birth during COVID-19 restrictions in Australia: The BITTOC longitudinal cohort study

Miriam E. Gladstone, Vincent Paquin, Mia A. McLean, Belinda Lequertier, Guillaume Elgbeili, Sue Kildea, Chloe Klimos, Suzanne King, Hannah G. Dahlen

Molly Wardaguga Research Centre

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

4 Citations (Scopus)

69 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Background: Various forms of prenatal maternal stress (PNMS) have been reported to increase risk for preterm birth and low birthweight. However, the associations between specific components of stress – namely objective hardship and subjective distress - and birth outcomes are not well understood.

Aims: Here, we aimed to determine the relationship between birthweight and gestational age at birth and specific prenatal factors (infant gender and COVID-19 pandemic-related objective hardship, subjective distress, change in diet), and to determine whether effects of hardship are moderated by maternal subjective distress, change in diet, or infant gender.

Materials and methods: As part of the Birth in the Time of COVID (BITTOC study), women (N = 2285) who delivered in Australia during the pandemic were recruited online between August 2020 and February 2021. We assessed objective hardship and subjective distress related to the COVID pandemic and restrictions, and birth outcomes through questionnaires that were completed at recruitment and two months post-partum. Analyses included hierarchical multiple regressions.

Results: No associations between maternal objective hardship or subjective distress and gestational age at birth or birthweight were identified. Lower birthweight was significantly associated with female gender (adjusted β = 0.083, P < 0.001) and with self-reported improvement in maternal diet (adjusted β = 0.059, P = 0.015).

Conclusions: In a socioeconomically advantaged sample, neither objective hardship nor subjective distress related to COVID-19 were associated with birth outcomes. Further research is warranted to understand how other individual factors influence susceptibility to PNMS and how these findings are applicable to women with lower socioeconomic status.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	509-515
Number of pages	7
Journal	Australian and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology
Volume	63
Issue number	4
Early online date	Mar 2023
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/ajo.13673
Publication status	Published - Aug 2023

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This research was funded by Sydney Partnership for Health, Education, Research and Enterprise (SPHERE) Maternal, Newborn and Women's Clinical Academic Group (MNW CAG to Dr. Hannah Dahlen), Western Sydney University and the Charles Darwin University Rainmaker Readiness Grant (Pregnant During the Pandemic, Grant ID: 3377286). Funders had no involvement in the research. Guillaume Elgbeili was supported by a grant from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR # PJT‐148903) awarded to S. King and colleagues.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 The Authors. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.

Access to Document

10.1111/ajo.13673

75022660-oaFinal published version, 551 KBLicence: CC BY-NC
75022660-oaE-pub ahead of print, 744 KBLicence: CC BY-NC

Cite this

Gladstone, M. E., Paquin, V., McLean, M. A., Lequertier, B., Elgbeili, G., Kildea, S., Klimos, C., King, S., & Dahlen, H. G. (2023). Prenatal maternal stress was not associated with birthweight or gestational age at birth during COVID-19 restrictions in Australia: The BITTOC longitudinal cohort study. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 63(4), 509-515. https://doi.org/10.1111/ajo.13673

@article{4e11687f049048cfb90097e082ff6bef,

title = "Prenatal maternal stress was not associated with birthweight or gestational age at birth during COVID-19 restrictions in Australia: The BITTOC longitudinal cohort study",

abstract = "Background: Various forms of prenatal maternal stress (PNMS) have been reported to increase risk for preterm birth and low birthweight. However, the associations between specific components of stress – namely objective hardship and subjective distress - and birth outcomes are not well understood. Aims: Here, we aimed to determine the relationship between birthweight and gestational age at birth and specific prenatal factors (infant gender and COVID-19 pandemic-related objective hardship, subjective distress, change in diet), and to determine whether effects of hardship are moderated by maternal subjective distress, change in diet, or infant gender. Materials and methods: As part of the Birth in the Time of COVID (BITTOC study), women (N = 2285) who delivered in Australia during the pandemic were recruited online between August 2020 and February 2021. We assessed objective hardship and subjective distress related to the COVID pandemic and restrictions, and birth outcomes through questionnaires that were completed at recruitment and two months post-partum. Analyses included hierarchical multiple regressions.Results: No associations between maternal objective hardship or subjective distress and gestational age at birth or birthweight were identified. Lower birthweight was significantly associated with female gender (adjusted β = 0.083, P < 0.001) and with self-reported improvement in maternal diet (adjusted β = 0.059, P = 0.015).Conclusions: In a socioeconomically advantaged sample, neither objective hardship nor subjective distress related to COVID-19 were associated with birth outcomes. Further research is warranted to understand how other individual factors influence susceptibility to PNMS and how these findings are applicable to women with lower socioeconomic status.",

keywords = "birth outcomes, birthweight, COVID-19 pandemic, gestational age, prenatal maternal stress",

author = "Gladstone, {Miriam E.} and Vincent Paquin and McLean, {Mia A.} and Belinda Lequertier and Guillaume Elgbeili and Sue Kildea and Chloe Klimos and Suzanne King and Dahlen, {Hannah G.}",

note = "Funding Information: This research was funded by Sydney Partnership for Health, Education, Research and Enterprise (SPHERE) Maternal, Newborn and Women's Clinical Academic Group (MNW CAG to Dr. Hannah Dahlen), Western Sydney University and the Charles Darwin University Rainmaker Readiness Grant (Pregnant During the Pandemic, Grant ID: 3377286). Funders had no involvement in the research. Guillaume Elgbeili was supported by a grant from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR # PJT‐148903) awarded to S. King and colleagues. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2023 The Authors. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.",

year = "2023",

month = aug,

doi = "10.1111/ajo.13673",

language = "English",

volume = "63",

pages = "509--515",

journal = "Australian and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology",

issn = "0004-8666",

publisher = "Wiley-Blackwell",

number = "4",

}

Gladstone, ME, Paquin, V, McLean, MA, Lequertier, B, Elgbeili, G, Kildea, S, Klimos, C, King, S & Dahlen, HG 2023, 'Prenatal maternal stress was not associated with birthweight or gestational age at birth during COVID-19 restrictions in Australia: The BITTOC longitudinal cohort study', Australian and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, vol. 63, no. 4, pp. 509-515. https://doi.org/10.1111/ajo.13673

Prenatal maternal stress was not associated with birthweight or gestational age at birth during COVID-19 restrictions in Australia: The BITTOC longitudinal cohort study. / Gladstone, Miriam E.; Paquin, Vincent; McLean, Mia A. et al.
In: Australian and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Vol. 63, No. 4, 08.2023, p. 509-515.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

TY - JOUR

T1 - Prenatal maternal stress was not associated with birthweight or gestational age at birth during COVID-19 restrictions in Australia

T2 - The BITTOC longitudinal cohort study

AU - Gladstone, Miriam E.

AU - Paquin, Vincent

AU - McLean, Mia A.

AU - Lequertier, Belinda

AU - Elgbeili, Guillaume

AU - Kildea, Sue

AU - Klimos, Chloe

AU - King, Suzanne

AU - Dahlen, Hannah G.

N1 - Funding Information: This research was funded by Sydney Partnership for Health, Education, Research and Enterprise (SPHERE) Maternal, Newborn and Women's Clinical Academic Group (MNW CAG to Dr. Hannah Dahlen), Western Sydney University and the Charles Darwin University Rainmaker Readiness Grant (Pregnant During the Pandemic, Grant ID: 3377286). Funders had no involvement in the research. Guillaume Elgbeili was supported by a grant from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR # PJT‐148903) awarded to S. King and colleagues. Publisher Copyright: © 2023 The Authors. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.

PY - 2023/8

Y1 - 2023/8

N2 - Background: Various forms of prenatal maternal stress (PNMS) have been reported to increase risk for preterm birth and low birthweight. However, the associations between specific components of stress – namely objective hardship and subjective distress - and birth outcomes are not well understood. Aims: Here, we aimed to determine the relationship between birthweight and gestational age at birth and specific prenatal factors (infant gender and COVID-19 pandemic-related objective hardship, subjective distress, change in diet), and to determine whether effects of hardship are moderated by maternal subjective distress, change in diet, or infant gender. Materials and methods: As part of the Birth in the Time of COVID (BITTOC study), women (N = 2285) who delivered in Australia during the pandemic were recruited online between August 2020 and February 2021. We assessed objective hardship and subjective distress related to the COVID pandemic and restrictions, and birth outcomes through questionnaires that were completed at recruitment and two months post-partum. Analyses included hierarchical multiple regressions.Results: No associations between maternal objective hardship or subjective distress and gestational age at birth or birthweight were identified. Lower birthweight was significantly associated with female gender (adjusted β = 0.083, P < 0.001) and with self-reported improvement in maternal diet (adjusted β = 0.059, P = 0.015).Conclusions: In a socioeconomically advantaged sample, neither objective hardship nor subjective distress related to COVID-19 were associated with birth outcomes. Further research is warranted to understand how other individual factors influence susceptibility to PNMS and how these findings are applicable to women with lower socioeconomic status.

AB - Background: Various forms of prenatal maternal stress (PNMS) have been reported to increase risk for preterm birth and low birthweight. However, the associations between specific components of stress – namely objective hardship and subjective distress - and birth outcomes are not well understood. Aims: Here, we aimed to determine the relationship between birthweight and gestational age at birth and specific prenatal factors (infant gender and COVID-19 pandemic-related objective hardship, subjective distress, change in diet), and to determine whether effects of hardship are moderated by maternal subjective distress, change in diet, or infant gender. Materials and methods: As part of the Birth in the Time of COVID (BITTOC study), women (N = 2285) who delivered in Australia during the pandemic were recruited online between August 2020 and February 2021. We assessed objective hardship and subjective distress related to the COVID pandemic and restrictions, and birth outcomes through questionnaires that were completed at recruitment and two months post-partum. Analyses included hierarchical multiple regressions.Results: No associations between maternal objective hardship or subjective distress and gestational age at birth or birthweight were identified. Lower birthweight was significantly associated with female gender (adjusted β = 0.083, P < 0.001) and with self-reported improvement in maternal diet (adjusted β = 0.059, P = 0.015).Conclusions: In a socioeconomically advantaged sample, neither objective hardship nor subjective distress related to COVID-19 were associated with birth outcomes. Further research is warranted to understand how other individual factors influence susceptibility to PNMS and how these findings are applicable to women with lower socioeconomic status.

KW - birth outcomes

KW - birthweight

KW - COVID-19 pandemic

KW - gestational age

KW - prenatal maternal stress

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85151661926&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1111/ajo.13673

DO - 10.1111/ajo.13673

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85151661926

SN - 0004-8666

VL - 63

SP - 509

EP - 515

JO - Australian and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology

JF - Australian and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology

IS - 4

ER -

Gladstone ME, Paquin V, McLean MA, Lequertier B, Elgbeili G, Kildea S et al. Prenatal maternal stress was not associated with birthweight or gestational age at birth during COVID-19 restrictions in Australia: The BITTOC longitudinal cohort study. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. 2023 Aug;63(4):509-515. Epub 2023 Mar. doi: 10.1111/ajo.13673

Prenatal maternal stress was not associated with birthweight or gestational age at birth during COVID-19 restrictions in Australia: The BITTOC longitudinal cohort study

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

2020 Rainmaker Readiness - Pregnant During the Pandemic: Does Midwifery Continuity-of-Care Buffer the Effects of COVID-19-related Stress on the Wellbeing of Mothers and Babies?

Cite this

Prenatal maternal stress was not associated with birthweight or gestational age at birth during COVID-19 restrictions in Australia: The BITTOC longitudinal cohort study

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Projects

2020 Rainmaker Readiness - Pregnant During the Pandemic: Does Midwifery Continuity-of-Care Buffer the Effects of COVID-19-related Stress on the Wellbeing of Mothers and Babies?

Cite this