Caregiving to very low birthweight infants: a model of stress and immune response
Abstract
Mothers of preterm, very low birthweight (< or = 1500 g; VLBW) infants experience the stress of caring for small, fragile infants at the same time that they are recovering from the relative immunosuppression of pregnancy and when many health behaviour changes (e.g., nutrition) occur which also may influence immune status. The purpose of this study was to examine changes in anxiety and depression and in health behaviors, as well as lymphocyte proliferation and natural killer cell activity in mothers of preterm, VLBW infants compared to mothers of healthy term infants. Mothers of preterm VLBW infants have decreased in vitro lymphocyte response to mitogens compared to mothers of healthy term infants over time, and this difference could not be explained by anxiety, depression, or health behaviors. However, among mothers of VLBW infants, anxiety was related to decreased lymphocyte proliferation response at 1 month postpartum. There was no relationship between maternal depression and lymphocyte proliferative response in mothers of term infants. Natural killer cell activity did not differ between the two groups of mothers, nor was there a relationship between natural killer cell activity and maternal anxiety, depression, or health behaviors. Thus, lymphocyte proliferative response to mitogens may be an important biologic market of increased stress in mothers of VLBW infants in the first couple of months postpartum.
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Depressed mood is associated with a reduction in natural killer cell activity and higher plasma concentrations of proinflammatory cytokines and their receptors.
“Although, the mechanism(s) underlying the association of depression and preterm birth is unknown, there is an association between depressed mood and a reduction in natural killer cell activity, and higher plasma concentrations of proinflammatory cytokines and their receptors.59”
From Epidemiology and causes of preterm birth (2008) · cites this paper as [59]
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Epidemiology and causes of preterm birth
Goldenberg, R. L., Culhane, J. F., Iams, J. D., & Romero, R. (2008) · The Lancet · doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(08)60074-4 · Cited by 7,801 · see citing works
“59 Infl ammation, therefore, might also partly mediate the relation between depression and preterm birth.”
BackgroundPsychological stress and the human immune system: a meta-analytic study of 30 Years of inquiry
Segerstrom, S. C., & Miller, G. E. (2004) · Psychological Bulletin · doi:10.1037/0033-2909.130.4.601 · Cited by 3,334 · see citing works
- Authors
- Gennaro, S., Fehder, W., Nuamah, I. F., Campbell, D. E., & Douglas, S. D.
- Affiliations
- University of Pennsylvania (US)
- Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (US)
- Venue
- Brain, Behavior, and Immunity
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 1997-09
- Volume
- 11
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 201-215
- ISSN
- 0889-1591 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2050230716
- Cited by
- 30
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2021: 1 · 2019: 1 · 2018: 1 · 2015: 2 · 2012: 1
- FWCI
- 0.86
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Brain Behavior and Immunity (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- U.S. Department of Agriculture
- University of Pennsylvania
- National Institutes of Health (5r01nr002615-03)
- National Institute of Nursing Research (NRO2615)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health › Infant Development and Preterm Care
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Maternal Mental Health During Pregnancy and Postpartum
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Behavioral Neuroscience › Stress Responses and Cortisol
- Keywords
- very low birth weight infants, preterm infants, maternal stress, maternal anxiety, maternal depression, maternal health behavior, lymphocyte proliferation, NK cell cytotoxicity, maternal immune response, postpartum period, maternal care
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Cotinine, Female, Humans, Infant, Newborn, Killer Cells, Natural, Lymphocyte Activation, Mitogens, Nutritional Physiological Phenomena, Pregnancy, Psychiatric Status Rating Scales, Surveys and Questionnaires, Sleep, Stress, Psychological, Caregivers, Infant, Very Low Birth Weight
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