Premium
Association between maternal psychological adversity and lung function in South African infants: A birth cohort study
Author(s) -
Kariuki Symon M.,
Gray Diane M.,
Newton Charles R. J. C.,
Vanker Aneesa,
MacGinty Rae P.,
Koen Nastassja,
Barnett Whitney,
Chibnik Lori,
Koenen Karestan C.,
Stein Dan J.,
Zar Heather J.
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
pediatric pulmonology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.866
H-Index - 106
eISSN - 1099-0496
pISSN - 8755-6863
DOI - 10.1002/ppul.24532
Subject(s) - medicine , lung function , association (psychology) , cohort , cohort study , pediatrics , demography , lung , philosophy , epistemology , sociology
Objective The association of perinatal psychological adversity (ie, stressors and distress) with infant lung function (ILF) and development is not well studied in Africa and elsewhere. We determined the association between maternal perinatal psychological adversity and ILF in African infants. Design Prospective longitudinal follow up of the Drakenstein Child Health Study birth cohort. Participants Seven hundred and sixty‐two infants aged 6 to 10 weeks and 485 infants who had data for both maternal perinatal psychological adversity and ILF (measured at 6 to 10 weeks and 12 months). Methods The main analyses were based on cross‐sectional measures of ILF at each assessment (6 to 10 weeks or 12 months), using generalized linear models, and then on the panel‐data of both longitudinal ILF assessments, using generalised estimating equations, that allowed specification of the within‐group correlation structure. Results Prenatal intimate partner violence (IPV) exposure was associated with reduced respiratory resistance at 6 to 10 weeks (beta coefficient [ β ] = −.131, P = .023); postnatal IPV with reduced ratio of time to peak tidal expiratory flow over total expiratory time (t PTEF /t E ) at 12 months ( β = −.206, P = .016); and prenatal depression with lower respiratory rate at 6 to 10 weeks ( β = −.044, P = .032) and at 12 months ( β = −.053, P = .021). Longitudinal analysis found an association of prenatal IPV with reduced t PTEF /t E ( β = −.052, P < .0001); postnatal IPV with decreased functional residual capacity (FRC; β = −.086, P < .0001); prenatal posttraumatic stress disorder with increased FRC ( β = .017, P < .0001); prenatal depression with increased FRC ( β = .026, P < .0001) and postnatal depression with increased FRC ( β = .021, P < .0001). Conclusion Screening for psychological adversity and understanding the mechanisms involved may help identify children at risk of altered lung development and inform approaches to treatment.