Impact of Prenatal Stress on Autonomic Nervous System Functioning and Psychopathology Risk in Early Childhood: The Harvey Mom Study

IF 2.4 4区心理学 Q2 PSYCHOLOGY, DEVELOPMENTAL

Infant and Child Development Pub Date : 2026-05-11 DOI:10.1002/icd.70106

Rebecca Lipschutz, Suzanne King, Carla Sharp, Dana DeMaster, Hanako Yoshida, David P. Laplante, David M. Olson, Johanna Bick

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Prior human and animal research suggests prenatal stress alters developmental systems that support stress and emotion regulation in offspring, which may underlie vulnerability to psychopathology risk. We examined prospective associations between prenatal stress from a natural disaster and infant biobehavioral outcomes across toddlerhood. Women pregnant during Hurricane Harvey in 2017 completed assessments of their objective levels of hardship and their subjective distress from the disaster. Offspring ( n = 47) completed follow‐up assessments at 24 months to collect autonomic nervous system activity (respiratory sinus arrhythmia, RSA; heart rate, HR) during a stressor task. Parents assessed their children's behavioural problems at 24 and 48 months of age. Increased objective hardship was associated with greater HR reactivity and recovery. Prenatal subjective distress was associated with increased child behaviour problems at 24 months. Higher behaviour problems at 24 months of age were also associated with HR reactivity and recovery. No significant effects with RSA reactivity or recovery were observed. Findings suggest that prenatal stress is an important predictor of offspring biobehavioral risk. Further research is needed to explore longitudinal pathways.

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产前应激对幼儿自主神经系统功能和精神病理风险的影响：Harvey妈妈的研究

先前的人类和动物研究表明，产前压力会改变后代支持压力和情绪调节的发育系统，这可能是精神病理风险的基础。我们研究了自然灾害造成的产前压力与幼儿期婴儿生物行为结果之间的前瞻性关联。2017年飓风“哈维”期间怀孕的女性完成了客观困难程度和主观灾难痛苦程度的评估。后代（n = 47）在24个月时完成随访评估，收集应激任务期间自主神经系统活动（呼吸性窦性心律失常，RSA；心率，HR）。父母在孩子24个月和48个月大时评估他们的行为问题。客观困难的增加与人力资源反应性和恢复能力的提高有关。产前主观痛苦与24个月时儿童行为问题的增加有关。24个月大时较高的行为问题也与人力资源反应性和恢复有关。没有观察到RSA反应性或恢复的显著影响。研究结果表明，产前应激是后代生物行为风险的重要预测因子。需要进一步的研究来探索纵向通路。

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来源期刊

Infant and Child Development PSYCHOLOGY, DEVELOPMENTAL-

CiteScore

2.90

自引率

9.10%

发文量

期刊介绍： Infant and Child Development publishes high quality empirical, theoretical and methodological papers addressing psychological development from the antenatal period through to adolescence. The journal brings together research on: - social and emotional development - perceptual and motor development - cognitive development - language development atypical development (including conduct problems, anxiety and depressive conditions, language impairments, autistic spectrum disorders, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorders)