This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Request Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Orr, S. T. Articles by James, S. A. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Orr, S. T. Articles by James, S. A. Related Collections Pregnancy

Maternal Prenatal Pregnancy-Related Anxiety and Spontaneous Preterm Birth in Baltimore, Maryland

From the Department of Health Education and Promotion (S.T.O.), College of Health and Human Performance, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina; Institute of Statistics and Decision Sciences (J.P.R.), Duke University, Durham, North Carolina; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (D.G.B.), Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina; Terry Sanford Institute for Policy Studies (S.A.J.), Duke University, Durham, North Carolina.

Address correspondence and reprint requests to Suezanne T. Orr, Department of Health Education and Promotion, College of Health and Human Performance, East Carolina University, 200 Christenbury, Greenville, NC 27858. E-mail: orrs{at}ecu.edu

Objective: To focus on the relationship between pregnancy-related anxiety and spontaneous preterm birth. Psychosocial factors have been the subject of inquiries about the etiology of preterm birth; a factor of recent interest is maternal prenatal pregnancy-related anxiety (worries and concerns related to the pregnancy).

Methods: From 1991 to 1993, a total of 1820 women completed the study questionnaire during their first prenatal visit to clinics in Baltimore, Maryland. Pregnancy-related anxiety was assessed using six questions from the Prenatal Social Environment Inventory; scores ranged from 0 to 6. Data on pregnancy outcome and clinical and behavioral covariates were obtained from the women’s clinical records.

Results: After adjustment for covariates (first or second trimester bleeding, drug use, employment, prior poor pregnancy outcome, smoking, low body mass index, maternal education, age, and race), women with higher levels of pregnancy-related anxiety (scores of 5 or 6) had a significantly increased risk of spontaneous preterm birth compared with those with scores of 3.

Conclusions: If additional research confirms these results, then this finding may suggest the possibility of intervention to reduce maternal prenatal pregnancy-related worries and concerns, thereby reducing the risk of spontaneous preterm birth.

Key Words: anxiety • pregnancy • preterm birth

Abbreviations: PSEI = Prenatal Social Environment Inventory; CES-D = Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale; BMI = body mass index; OR = Odds Ratio.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				M. S. Kramer, J. Lydon, L. Seguin, L. Goulet, S. R. Kahn, H. McNamara, J. Genest, C. Dassa, M. F. Chen, S. Sharma, et al. Stress Pathways to Spontaneous Preterm Birth: The Role of Stressors, Psychological Distress, and Stress Hormones Am. J. Epidemiol., June 1, 2009; 169(11): 1319 - 1326. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A.S. Khashan, R. McNamee, K.M. Abel, P.B. Mortensen, L.C. Kenny, M.G. Pedersen, R.T. Webb, and P.N. Baker Rates of preterm birth following antenatal maternal exposure to severe life events: a population-based cohort study Hum. Reprod., February 1, 2009; 24(2): 429 - 437. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				Psychiatric Medications, Psychiatric Disorders, and Pregnancy: New Data Journal Watch Psychiatry, October 1, 2007; 2007(1001): 1 - 1. [Full Text]