PMID- 34284445
OWN - NLM
STAT- MEDLINE
DCOM- 20220131
LR  - 20240201
IS  - 1473-558X (Electronic)
IS  - 0959-4965 (Print)
IS  - 0959-4965 (Linking)
VI  - 32
IP  - 14
DP  - 2021 Oct 6
TI  - Maternal corticosteroids and depression during gestation and decreased fetal 
      heart rate variability.
PG  - 1170-1174
LID - 10.1097/WNR.0000000000001711 [doi]
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Maternal depression during gestation is an adverse factor in fetal 
      brain development that manifests in later childhood behavioral problems. Fetal 
      heart rate variability (FHRV) mediated by parasympathetic input is a marker of 
      gestational nervous system development. Biological mediators of adverse effects 
      of maternal depression may involve the mother's corticosteroids; however, links 
      between depression, corticosteroids, and early nervous system development remain 
      inconclusive. METHODS: Heart rate was recorded in 23 fetuses by transabdominal 
      Doppler at 28-33 weeks gestation. The SD of interbeat intervals over 20 min 
      assessed FHRV. Maternal depression ratings and hair concentrations of cortisol 
      and cortisone were assayed. An auditory sensory gating paradigm assessed newborn 
      development of cerebral inhibition. Parents rated their infant's temperament 
      characteristics on the Infant Behavior Questionnaire-Revised Short Form (IBQ-R). 
      RESULTS: Maternal depression was associated with lower FHRV, especially for male 
      fetuses, beta = -0.633, P = 0.045. Maternal depression was associated with lower 
      cortisol to total corticosteroids ratios, beta = -0.519, P = 0.033. Lower cortisol 
      ratios were associated with decreased FHRV, beta = 0.485, P = 0.019. Decreased FHRV 
      was associated with increased newborn sensory gating deficits, beta = -0.992, 
      P = 0.035, indicating poorer development of cerebral inhibition. Higher FHRV was 
      related to increased infant IBQ-R self-regulatory behaviors, r = 0.454, 
      P = 0.029. CONCLUSION: Maternal depression is associated via corticosteroids with 
      decreased development of nervous system control of fetal heart rate. Decreased 
      FHRV indicates developmental alterations in gestation that correlate with altered 
      brain function and subsequent regulatory challenges in early infancy.
CI  - Copyright (c) 2021 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.
FAU - Hunter, Sharon K
AU  - Hunter SK
AD  - Department of Psychiatry.
FAU - Freedman, Robert
AU  - Freedman R
AD  - Department of Psychiatry.
FAU - Law, Amanda J
AU  - Law AJ
AD  - Department of Psychiatry.
AD  - Department of Cell and Developmental Biology.
AD  - Department of Medicine.
FAU - Christians, Uwe
AU  - Christians U
AD  - Department of Anesthesiology, iC42 Clinical Research and Development.
FAU - Holzman, Jacob B W
AU  - Holzman JBW
AD  - Department of Psychiatry.
AD  - Pediatric Mental Health Institute, Children's Hospital Colorado, Aurora, 
      Colorado, USA.
FAU - Johnson, Zachary
AU  - Johnson Z
AD  - Department of Psychiatry.
FAU - Hoffman, M Camille
AU  - Hoffman MC
AD  - Department of Psychiatry.
AD  - Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Maternal and Fetal Medicine, 
      University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine.
LA  - eng
GR  - K12 HD001271/HD/NICHD NIH HHS/United States
GR  - UL1 TR001082/TR/NCATS NIH HHS/United States
GR  - UL1 TR002535/TR/NCATS NIH HHS/United States
PT  - Journal Article
PT  - Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
PT  - Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
PL  - England
TA  - Neuroreport
JT  - Neuroreport
JID - 9100935
RN  - 0 (Adrenal Cortex Hormones)
SB  - IM
MH  - Adrenal Cortex Hormones/analysis/*metabolism
MH  - Depression/*complications
MH  - Female
MH  - *Fetal Development
MH  - Fetus/physiology
MH  - Heart Rate, Fetal/*physiology
MH  - Humans
MH  - Pregnancy
MH  - Pregnancy Complications/*psychology
MH  - Pregnancy Trimester, Third
PMC - PMC9762166
MID - NIHMS1849043
COIS- Conflicts of interest There are no conflicts of interest.
EDAT- 2021/07/21 06:00
MHDA- 2022/02/01 06:00
PMCR- 2022/12/19
CRDT- 2021/07/20 20:28
PHST- 2021/07/21 06:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 2022/02/01 06:00 [medline]
PHST- 2021/07/20 20:28 [entrez]
PHST- 2022/12/19 00:00 [pmc-release]
AID - 00001756-202110010-00004 [pii]
AID - 10.1097/WNR.0000000000001711 [doi]
PST - ppublish
SO  - Neuroreport. 2021 Oct 6;32(14):1170-1174. doi: 10.1097/WNR.0000000000001711.