Preterm birth (PTB) is of epidemic proportions in the United States, particularly among African Americans. Its consequences range from risk of infant mortality to lifelong disease and disability. Stress is a contributor to preterm labor and delivery. This article summarizes research on stress as a risk factor for PTB. As is evident in considering the complex mechanisms, psychological science has much to contribute to addressing this important health issue.
BehrmanR.E.ButlerA.S.(Eds.). (2006). (See References). Comprehensive and scholarly volume on the etiology, consequences, and recommendations for prevention of preterm birth by leading interdisiciplinary scientists composing the Institute of Medicine Committee on Preterm Birth.
2.
BeydounH.SaftlasA.F(2008). Physical and mental health outcomes of prenatal maternal stress in human and animal studies: A review of recent evidence.Paediatric and Perinatal Epidemiology, 22, 438–466. Recent review of a broad range of studies (including animal and human studies) linking prenatal stress to many physical and mental health outcomes and drawing conclusions for public health policy.
3.
Coussons ReadM.(2003). Neural-immune consequences of environmental and psychological stress in pregnancy.Recent Research in Developmental Life Science, 1, 113–130. An excellent review of alterations in maternal immune function resulting from prenatal stress and of neural immune interactions as they influence maternal and infant outcomes such as stress responsivity and immune function in the developing infant.
4.
SavitzD.Dunkel SchetterC.(2006). Behavioral and psychosocial contributors to preterm birth. In BehrmanR.E.ButlerA.S. (Eds.), Preterm birth: Causes, consequences and prevention (pp. 87–123). Washington, DC: National Academy Press. A review, requested by the Institute of Medicine, covering the major findings on health behaviors and psychosocial factors contributing to PTB and drawing conservative conclusions from the research.
5.
BehrmanR.E.ButlerA.S.(Eds.). (2006). Preterm birth: Causes, consequences and prevention. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
6.
CamposB.Dunkel SchetterC.AbdouC.HobelC.J.GlynnL.M.SandmanC.A. (2008). Familialism, social support, and stress: Positive implications for pregnant Latinas. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 14, 155–162.
7.
DoleN.SavitzD.A.Hertz-PicciottoI.Siega-RizA.M.McMahonM.J.BuekensP. (2003). Maternal stress and preterm birth. American Journal of Epidemiology, 157, 14–24.
8.
GiscombeC.L.LobelM. (2005). Explaining disproportionately high rates of adverse birth outcomes among African Americans: The impact of stress, racism, and relation factors in pregnancy. Psychological Bulletin, 131, 662–683.
9.
GlynnL.M.Dunkel SchetterC.HobelC.J.SandmanC.A. (2008). Pattern of perceived stress and anxiety in pregnancy predicts preterm birth. Health Psychology, 27, 43–51.
10.
GlynnL.M.WadhwaP.D.Dunkel SchetterC.Chicz-DeMetA.SandmanC.A. (2001). When stress happens matters: Effects of earthquake timing on stress responsivity in pregnancy. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 184, 637–642.
11.
HogueC.J.R.BremmerJ.D. (2005). Stress model for research into preterm delivery among black women. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 192, S47–S55.
12.
LedermanS.A.RauhV.WeissL.SteinJ.L.HoepnerL.A.BeckerM. (2004). The effects of the World Trade Center event on birth outcomes among term deliveries at three lower Manhattan hospitals. Environmental Health Perspectives, 112, 1772–1778.
13.
LobelM.Dunkel SchetterC.ScrimshawS.C.M. (1992). Prenatal maternal stress and prematurity: A prospective study of socioeconomically disadvantaged women. Health Psychology, 11, 32–40.
14.
LuM.C.HalfonN. (2003). Racial and ethnic disparities in birth outcomes: A life-course perspective. Maternal and Child Health Journal, 7, 13–30.
15.
MancusoR.A.Dunkel SchetterC.RiniC.M.RoeschS.C.HobelC.J. (2004). Maternal prenatal anxiety and corticotropin-releasing hormone associated with timing of delivery. Psychosomatic Medicine, 66, 762–769.
16.
McCormickM.BehrmanR. (2006). The quiet epidemic of premature birth: Commentary on a recent Institute of Medicine Report. Ambulatory Pediatrics, 7, 8–9.
17.
McLeanM.BisitsA.DaviesJ.WoodsR.LowryP.SmithR. (1995). A placental clock controlling the length of human pregnancy. Nature Medicine, 1, 460–463.
18.
NordentoftM.LouH.C.HansenD.NimJ.PrydsO.RubinP.HemmingsenR. (1996). Intrauterine growth retardation and premature delivery: The influence of maternal smoking and psychosocial factors. American Journal of Public Health, 86, 347–354.
19.
Parker DominguezT.Dunkel SchetterC.GlynnL.M.HobelC.SandmanC.A. (2008). Racial differences in birth outcomes: The role of general, pregnancy, and racism stress. Health Psychology, 27, 194–203.
20.
RiniC.K.Dunkel SchetterC.SandmanC.A.WadhwaP.D. (1999). Psychological adaptation and birth outcomes: The role of personal resources, stress, and sociocultural context in pregnancy. Health Psychology, 18, 333–345.
21.
RoeschS.C.Dunkel SchetterC.WooG.HobelC.J. (2004). Modeling the types and timing of stress in pregnancy. Anxiety, Stress, and Coping, 17, 87–102.
22.
SteinJ.A.LuM.A.GelbergL. (2000). Severity of homelessness and adverse birth outcomes. Health Psychology, 19, 524–534.
23.
WadhwaP.D.CulhaneJ.F.RauhV.BarveS.S. (2001). Stress and preterm birth: Neuroendocrine, immune/inflammatory, and vascular mechanisms. Maternal and Child Health Journal, 5, 119–125.
24.
ZambranaR.E.Dunkel SchetterC.CollinsN.ScrimshawS.C. (1999). Mediators of ethnic-associated differences in infant birth weight. Journal of Urban Health, 76, 102–116.
