2026-04-13T15:08:59Zhttps://recercat.cat/oai/request

oai:recercat.cat:11351/101662025-10-24T10:37:58Zcom_2072_378070com_2072_378040col_2072_378092

Impact of the trait anxiety during pregnancy on birth weight: an observational cohort study SANDONIS, MIGUEL ANGEL Temprado Piqueras, Joaquín Hernandez Fleury, Alina Parramon Puig, Gemma Dip Pérez, Maria Emilia Maiz, Nerea Brik, Maia Carreras, Elena Ramos-Quiroga, Josep Antoni Embaràs Pes neonatal Ansietat PSYCHIATRY AND PSYCHOLOGY::Behavior and Behavior Mechanisms::Emotions::Anxiety DISEASES::Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms::Signs and Symptoms::Body Weight::Birth Weight PHENOMENA AND PROCESSES::Reproductive and Urinary Physiological Phenomena::Reproductive Physiological Phenomena::Reproduction::Pregnancy PSIQUIATRÍA Y PSICOLOGÍA::conducta y mecanismos de la conducta::emociones::ansiedad ENFERMEDADES::afecciones patológicas, signos y síntomas::signos y síntomas::peso corporal::peso al nacer FENÓMENOS Y PROCESOS::fenómenos fisiológicos reproductivos y urinarios::fenómenos fisiológicos de la reproducción::reproducción::embarazo Anxiety; Birthweight; Perinatal mental health Ansietat; Pes de naixement; Salut mental perinatal Ansiedad; Peso de nacimiento; Salud mental perinatal To explore the effects of antenatal anxiety on fetal growth an observational cohort study was performed, including a cohort of 204 women with singleton pregnancies during the strict lockdown of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Psychosocial factors, maternal demographics, obstetric outcomes, social support (Medical Outcomes Study Social Support Survey, MOS-SSS), and symptoms of anxiety (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, STAIs and STAIt) and depression (Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale, EPDS) were studied as potential predictors of low birth weight. Main outcome measures were birth weight, head circumference and length. Results showed a negative correlation between STAIt score (trait anxiety) and birth weight percentile (r = −0.228, p = .047). In the univariate linear regression analysis, a lower maternal weight and BMI before pregnancy, parity, increased STAIt score and preterm birth below 37 weeks of gestation (p = .008, p = .015, p = .028, p = .047 and p = .022, respectively) were identified as predictive risk factors for low birth weight, whereas in the multivariate lineal regression analysis only a lower maternal weight before pregnancy and an increased STAIt score were independent predictors for low birth weight (p = .020, p = .049, respectively). To conclude, anxiety during pregnancy impacts birth weight, and specifically the trait anxiety, is a predictor for low birth weight. This study was supported by Maternal and Fetal Research Group of Vall d’Hebron Research Institute (VHIR). 2025-10-24T10:37:58Z 2025-10-24T10:37:58Z 2025-10-24T10:37:58Z 2023-08-30T06:53:28Z 2023-08-30T06:53:28Z 2023 info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion http://hdl.handle.net/11351/10166 Journal of Psychosomatic Obstetrics & Gynecology;44 https://doi.org/10.1080/0167482X.2023.2241631 Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess Taylor & Francis Scientia