Association of Maternal Psychosocial Stress With Increased Risk of Asthma Development in Offspring

Am J Epidemiol. 2018 Jun 1;187(6):1199-1209. doi: 10.1093/aje/kwx366.

Abstract

Prenatal maternal psychosocial stress might influence the development of childhood asthma. Evaluating paternal psychosocial stress and conducting a sibling comparison could provide further insight into the role of unmeasured confounding. We examined the associations of parental psychosocial stress during and after pregnancy with asthma at age 7 years in the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study (n = 63,626; children born in 2000-2007). Measures of psychosocial stress included lifetime major depressive symptoms, current anxiety/depression symptoms, use of antidepressants, anxiolytics, and/or hypnotics, life satisfaction, relationship satisfaction, work stress, and social support. Childhood asthma was associated with maternal lifetime major depressive symptoms (adjusted relative risk (aRR) = 1.19, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.09, 1.30), in addition to symptoms of anxiety/depression during pregnancy (aRR = 1.17, 95% CI: 1.06, 1.29) and 6 months after delivery (aRR = 1.17, 95% CI: 1.07, 1.28). Maternal negative life events during pregnancy (aRR = 1.10, 95% CI: 1.06, 1.13) and 6 months after delivery (aRR = 1.14, 95% CI: 1.11, 1.18) were also associated with asthma. These associations were not replicated when evaluated within sibling groups. There were no associations with paternal psychosocial stress. In conclusion, maternal anxiety/depression and negative life events were associated with offspring asthma, but this might be explained by unmeasured maternal background characteristics that remain stable across deliveries.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Intramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Anti-Asthmatic Agents / therapeutic use
  • Antidepressive Agents / therapeutic use
  • Asthma / drug therapy
  • Asthma / epidemiology*
  • Asthma / psychology
  • Child
  • Cohort Studies
  • Depressive Disorder, Major / complications
  • Depressive Disorder, Major / drug therapy
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Life Change Events
  • Maternal Exposure / adverse effects*
  • Mothers / psychology
  • Norway / epidemiology
  • Personal Satisfaction
  • Pregnancy
  • Pregnancy Complications / drug therapy
  • Pregnancy Complications / psychology*
  • Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / psychology*
  • Registries
  • Risk Factors
  • Stress, Psychological / complications*
  • Stress, Psychological / drug therapy

Substances

  • Anti-Asthmatic Agents
  • Antidepressive Agents