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Maternal nutrition, infants and children

Maternal stress and distress and child nutritional status

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 67, pages 348–352 (2013)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Background/objective:

To assess the relationship between maternal stress and distress in pregnancy and 5–8 years postpartum and child nutritional status.

Subjects/methods:

Longitudinal cohort study carried out in Jundiai city, Southeast Brazil, involving 409 women followed throughout pregnancy to 5–8 years postpartum, and respective children. Measures of stress and distress were obtained three times in pregnancy (at gestational ages lower than 16 weeks, from 20 to 26 weeks and from 30 to 36 weeks) and 5–8 years postpartum by the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventories (STAI). The nutritional status of the children was assessed by the World Health Organization body mass index (BMI) z-score for age. The relationship between child BMI z-score for age and scores of the PSS, GHQ and STAI was evaluated by multivariate linear regression, controlling for confounding variables.

Results:

BMI z-score for age of the children was negatively associated with maternal scores of the PSS 5–8 years postpartum and scores of the GHQ in the second trimester of pregnancy. BMI of the children was positively associated with maternal BMI and birthweight (R2=0.13). There was −0.04 (confidence interval −0.07 to −0.9 × 10−2) decrease in child BMI per score unit of the PSS increase, and −0.09 (confidence interval −0.18 to −0.6 × 10−3) decrease in child BMI per score unit of the GHQ increase.

Conclusions:

This study detected a relationship between maternal mental and nutritional status and child nutritional status, implying that if the mother is not physically or mentally well, her capacity for caring for her child may be impaired.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP), São Paulo, Brazil, for financing this study (grants: 1998/00321-0; 2004/04109-8), and the field workers Rosemary F Ferreira, Alessandra L Santos and Josimara F Moura.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Nutrition, School of Public Health, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

    P H C Rondó, G Rezende & J O Lemos

  2. Federal University of Piauí, Campus Senador Helvídio Nunes de Barros, Rua Cícero Eduardo s/n, Bairro Junco, Picos, Brazil

    J A Pereira

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  1. P H C Rondó
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Correspondence to P H C Rondó.

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Authors contributions

PHCR designed the study protocol, secured funding, and participated in the statistical analysis, interpretation of data and writing of the paper. GR participated in the statistical analysis and interpretation of data. JOL and JAP collected data, and participated in the interpretation of data and writing of the paper. All authors approved the final version of the paper.

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Rondó, P., Rezende, G., Lemos, J. et al. Maternal stress and distress and child nutritional status. Eur J Clin Nutr 67, 348–352 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1038/ejcn.2013.28

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