Moderating Effect of Changes in Perceived Social Support during Pregnancy on the Emotional Health of Mothers and Fathers and on Baby’s Anthropometric Parameters at Birth

Abstract

(1) Background: this study is based on a model of how changes in protective factors may affect the emotional health of mothers and fathers and thus influence the development of the baby. Our research goal is to determine whether variations in perceived social support moderate levels of stress and depression during pregnancy and/or the effect of parents’ emotional health on the baby’s anthropometric parameters. (2) Methods: to achieve these aims, a longitudinal study was made of 132 couples and babies, who were evaluated at weeks 12 and 32 of gestation and at birth. Separate analyses were performed for the mothers and fathers, focused on the role of social support in moderating their levels of depression and stress during pregnancy, and the consequent impact on the baby. (3) Results: the results obtained show the moderating effects of changes in social support on maternal and paternal stress and depression. Reduced social support during pregnancy is associated with higher levels of stress and depression in both parents and with a high cephalisation index in their babies. (4) Conclusions: special attention should be paid to social support, which can have a strong impact on the evolution of emotional health during pregnancy and concomitantly on the development of the baby.

A psycho-educational intervention programme for parents with SGA foetuses supported by an adaptive mHealth system: design, proof of concept and usability assessment

“…Stress exposure can lead to dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and cause cortisol release in pregnant women. This mechanism jeopardizes anthropometric fetal development and can result in adverse birth outcomes [ 49 , 52 , 53 ]. One goal of VivEmbarazo is help parents to improve emotional health to prevent negative consequences in babies.…”

The Benefit of a Retrospective Pregnancy Anamnesis in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry: The Reliability of Maternal Self-Report during Childhood Development

“…Psychosocial prenatal risks: Partnership quality and personal satisfaction during pregnancy are social and psychological dimensions of maternal stress [19]. Partner support is suggested to have an important influence on maternal satisfaction, therefore influencing fetal outcomes and child health [51,52]. Multiple factors influence the rating of these complex domains, making standardized assessment difficult.…”