Preliminary Findings From a Mindfulness-Based Prenatal Intervention to Reduce Stress and Prevent Excessive Weight Gain: Effects On Offspring Health

Objective:   Using a control trial of a prenatal intervention to reduce maternal stress and excessive weight gain during gestation, we examine whether the prenatal intervention has positive effects on these offspring emotional/behavioral regulation, compared to offspring from a control group, which may help identify ways to prevent the intergenerational transmission of disease such as obesity and mental illness.

Introduction

Although there is clear evidence for effects of prenatal maternal stress and weight gain on offspring physiology and anthropometry, there are very few studies of interventions during pregnancy to ameliorate those risks. SEED is a “prenatal programming” study which capitalizes on an existing control trial of a prenatal intervention to reduce maternal stress and excessive weight gain during gestation in order to examine the effects of intrauterine exposures to maternal stress and excessive weight on subsequent newborn health and disease risk outcomes, as well as to test the effects of the intervention on those outcomes.

Method

Intervention women were provided with 8-weeks of small group mindfulness classes during pregnancy that taught women skills to reduce stress and unhealthy eating. Booster sessions and reunions were held to enhance intervention effects. Data collection is ongoing as infants are born; thus far, the completed sample consists of 34 mother-infant dyads (26 intervention, 8 control) in San Francisco. The sample is ethnically diverse (43%  AfAm, 33% Hisp/Lati, 4% Asian, 20%W), with a mean age of 27.05 years (SD=6.15), an education range from 25% < H.S. degree to 10.75% ≥ college degree, and median income of $16,000-25,000.

Maternal report of stress (Cohen’s Perceived Stress, PSS) was assessed pre- (20 weeks) and post-(28 weeks) intervention. Maternal gestational weight gain and offspring birthweight was assessed via a mix of clinical visits and medical records review. Offspring emotional/behavioral regulation was assessed via an objectively-coded neurodevelopmental assessment at 1-month of age (Newborn Behavioral Observation System, Nugent et al. 2007).  

Results

Preliminary findings demonstrate hypothesized associations.  In particular, intervention participants showed a clinically meaningful drop in stress following the intervention (M= -2.5, SD=.64), and women who decreased stress (PSS) over gestation had babies with lower birthweights (r= .28 p<.05) and better emotional/behavioral organization (r = -.42, p<.10). Additional findings on maternal weight gain and offspring health outcomes, as well as tests for differences in between intervention and control groups, will also be presented at the meeting.

Conclusion

This prenatal programming study provides a rare opportunity to assess the effects of reduction in prenatal stress and improvements in maternal weight control on subsequent child physiology and metabolism. Preliminary findings suggest the intervention has positive effects on offspring and may help identify ways to prevent the intergenerational transmission of disease such as obesity and mental illness.