Potential benefits of mindfulness during pregnancy on maternal autonomic nervous system function and infant development

Abstract

Mindfulness is known to decrease psychological distress. Possible benefits in pregnancy have rarely been explored. Our aim was to examine the prospective association of mindfulness with autonomic nervous system function during pregnancy and with later infant social-emotional development. Pregnant women (N = 156) completed self-report mindfulness and emotional distress questionnaires, and had their autonomic function assessed in their first and third trimesters, including heart rate (HR), indices of heart rate variability (HRV), preejection period (PEP), and systolic (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP). The social-emotional development of 109 infants was assessed at 4 months of age. More mindful pregnant women had less prenatal and postnatal emotional distress (p < .001) and higher cardiac parasympathetic activity: root mean square of successive differences (RMSSD: p = .03) and high-frequency (HF) HRV (p = .02). Between the first and third trimesters, women's overall HR increased (p < .001), and HRV (RMSSD, HF HRV, and low-frequency (LF) HRV: p < .001) and PEP decreased (p < .001). In more mindful mothers, parasympathetic activity decreased less (RMSSD: p = .01; HF HRV: p = .03) and sympathetic activity (inversely related to PEP) increased less (PEP: p = .02) between trimesters. Their offspring displayed less negative social-emotional behavior (p = .03) compared to offspring of less mindful mothers. Mindfulness in pregnancy was associated with ANS changes likely to be adaptive and with better social-emotional offspring development. Interventions to increase mindfulness during pregnancy might improve maternal and offspring health, but randomized trials are needed to demonstrate this.

The factors Related to Maternal-Fetal Attachment: Examining the Effect of Mindfulness, Stress and Symptoms during Pregnancy

“…Mental and physical discomfort may disrupt or even alter an individual's ability of awareness and nonjudgment [11,33]. Braeken et al reported pregnant women with lower emotional disorders have higher mindfulness during prenatal and postpartum periods [10].…”

“…The human attachment relationship originated from the work of Symptoms during Pregnancy. Arch Nurs Pract Care 5(1): 001-007. http://dx.doi.org/10.17352/anpc.000035 many studies have initiated psychological activities such as mindfulness interventions to reduce health problems during pregnancy [10,11]. It is wondering whether the mindfulness is obtained by training or naturally present without effort.…”

“…The mindfulness can also occur in meditation and yoga exercises [15]. Braeken et al [10] demonstrated that mindfulness is associated with autonomic nervous system function during pregnancy and with less negative social-emotional behavior.…”

“…The symptoms during pregnancy can be palliative by mindfulness practice. The pregnant women with higher mindfulness also adapted better and had less emotional distress both during and after pregnancy [10]. A study designed a 10week mindfulness yoga class for 18 primiparous participants who were 12 to 26 weeks pregnant and has mild symptom of depression [22].…”

Mindful with Your Baby: Feasibility, Acceptability, and Effects of a Mindful Parenting Group Training for Mothers and Their Babies in a Mental Health Context

“…Although the literature about the effects of mindfulness training on mothers with babies is scarce, there is some scientific support for the benefits that mindfulness might have for mothers and babies. Maternal mindfulness during pregnancy has not only shown to be associated with less maternal prenatal and postnatal emotional distress but also with better social-emotional development of their babies (Braeken et al 2016 ; Van den Heuvel et al 2015a ), less difficult infant temperament, and improved infant neurodevelopmental outcomes (Van den Heuvel et al 2015a , b ). Also, postnatal mindfulness in parenting (not mindfulness in general) has shown to be predictive of infant stress regulation.…”