The Impact of Trauma on the Fetus, the Infant, and the Child

Abstract

Pregnancy is one of the most vulnerable periods of life, both physically and emotionally. The effects of stress and trauma have a potential impact on a pregnant woman, as well as on her fetus and future child. Indeed, an increasing number of animal and human studies on the influences of stress on the developing fetal brain have produced evidence that prenatal maternal stress may have a long-term impact on a child’s mental health. Post-traumatic stress disorder during pregnancy, whatever its origin, has a direct impact not only on a woman’s mental health (such as anxiety, depression, and suicidal behavior) but also on pregnancy outcomes, especially premature birth and spontaneous abortion. It may also have a significant impact on the early mother-infant relationship, which, in turn, is decisive in establishing the child’s personality and socio-emotional functioning. Still, one needs to carefully differentiate between stressful events of different types and level of severity. In this chapter, we will review the impact of different types of trauma during pregnancy, including situations of intimate partner violence (IPV), war-related rape, other war-related conditions, pregnancy following a previous traumatic delivery, and natural catastrophes. We will show how variables, such as the timing, nature, and chronicity of the stressful and/or traumatic event, moderate the impact of stress on pregnancy outcomes. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved)