TY - JOUR
T1 - The complex impact of five years of stress related to life-threatening events on pregnancy outcomes
T2 - A preliminary retrospective study
AU - Keren, M.
AU - Keren, N.
AU - Eden, A.
AU - Tsangen, S.
AU - Weizman, A.
AU - Zalsman, G.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2014 Elsevier Masson SAS.
PY - 2015/2/1
Y1 - 2015/2/1
N2 - Objective: To study the impact of chronic, life-threatening stressors in the form of daily missile attacks, for five consecutive years, on pregnancy outcomes. Method: Charts of deliveries from two neighboring towns in the south of Israel, covering the years 2000 and 2003-2008, were reviewed retrospectively. One city had been exposed to missile attacks, while the other was not. For each year, 100 charts were chosen at random. Results: Significant association was found between exposure to stress and frequency of pregnancy complications ( P= 0.047) and premature membrane rupture ( P= 0.029). A more detailed analysis, based on dividing the stressful years into three distinct periods: early (2003-2004), intermediate (2005-2006) and late (2007-2008), revealed that preterm deliveries were significantly more frequent ( P= 0.044) during the intermediate period, as was premature membrane rupture during the late period ( P= 0.014). Conclusion: Exposure to chronic life-threatening stress resulted in more pregnancy complications and in particular more premature membrane ruptures. The impact was most significant during the middle period of the 5-year-exposure to the stressor. Hence it seems that factors of duration and habituation may play a role in the impact of chronic, life-threatening stressors on pregnancy.
AB - Objective: To study the impact of chronic, life-threatening stressors in the form of daily missile attacks, for five consecutive years, on pregnancy outcomes. Method: Charts of deliveries from two neighboring towns in the south of Israel, covering the years 2000 and 2003-2008, were reviewed retrospectively. One city had been exposed to missile attacks, while the other was not. For each year, 100 charts were chosen at random. Results: Significant association was found between exposure to stress and frequency of pregnancy complications ( P= 0.047) and premature membrane rupture ( P= 0.029). A more detailed analysis, based on dividing the stressful years into three distinct periods: early (2003-2004), intermediate (2005-2006) and late (2007-2008), revealed that preterm deliveries were significantly more frequent ( P= 0.044) during the intermediate period, as was premature membrane rupture during the late period ( P= 0.014). Conclusion: Exposure to chronic life-threatening stress resulted in more pregnancy complications and in particular more premature membrane ruptures. The impact was most significant during the middle period of the 5-year-exposure to the stressor. Hence it seems that factors of duration and habituation may play a role in the impact of chronic, life-threatening stressors on pregnancy.
KW - Chronic life-threatening stress
KW - Differential impact
KW - Pregnancy outcome
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84921377089&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.eurpsy.2014.10.004
DO - 10.1016/j.eurpsy.2014.10.004
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AN - SCOPUS:84921377089
SN - 0924-9338
VL - 30
SP - 317
EP - 321
JO - European Psychiatry
JF - European Psychiatry
IS - 2
ER -