Morris AR, Sellery PE, Truong V, Jeyasingh D, Haddan L, Saxbe DE. Maternal prenatal social contact during the COVID-19 pandemic predicts infant birth weight.
Early Hum Dev 2023;
187:105881. [PMID:
37944266 PMCID:
PMC10773973 DOI:
10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2023.105881]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2023] [Revised: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 10/20/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Social connectedness and mental health have been associated with infant birth weight, and both were compromised by the COVID-19 pandemic.
AIMS
We sought to examine whether changes in maternal prenatal social contact due to the COVID-19 pandemic were associated with infant birth weight and if maternal prenatal mental health mediated this association.
STUDY DESIGN
A longitudinal study of mothers and their infants born during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
SUBJECTS
The sample consisted of 282 United States-based mother-infant dyads.
OUTCOME MEASURES
Depressive symptoms were measured with the Beck Depression Inventory-II, anxiety was measured with the State Anxiety Inventory, and stress was measured using the Perceived Stress Scale 14. We also asked participants about pandemic-related changes in social contact across various domains. Adjusted birth weight was calculated from birth records or participant-report when birth records were unavailable.
RESULTS
Decreases in social contact during the pandemic were associated with lower adjusted infant birth weight (B = 76.82, SE = 35.82, p = .035). This association was mediated by maternal prenatal depressive symptoms [Effect = 15.06, 95 % CI (0.19, 35.58)] but not by prenatal anxiety [95 % CI (-0.02, 32.38)] or stress [95 % CI (-0.31, 26.19)].
CONCLUSION
These findings highlight concerns for both mothers and infants in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, since birth weight can have long-term health implications and the social restructuring occasioned by the pandemic may lead to lasting changes in social behavior.
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