A recent study from the Keck School of Medicine at USC suggests that psychosocial stress during pregnancy could increase the risk of higher blood pressure in the first year postpartum. This study, published in Hypertension and supported by the National Institutes of Health, investigates how perceived stress and depressive symptoms during pregnancy can influence a woman’s blood pressure in the years following childbirth.
The research found that mothers who reported higher stress and depressive symptoms during pregnancy were more likely to experience elevated blood pressure during the first year after giving birth, although these associations decreased over time. The study aims to shed light on the long-term impact of stressors on maternal health, building on existing research in maternal health to understand the persistent effects of pregnancy-related stress on cardiovascular health.
Noelle Pardo, the lead author of the study and a third-year doctoral student at the Department of Population and Public Health Sciences at Keck School of Medicine, explained, “Pregnancy is a complex time where women undergo numerous physiological changes. This study is a step forward in understanding how stressors affect women’s health not only during pregnancy but also after childbirth.”
The study utilized data from the MADRES pregnancy cohort, which primarily consists of Hispanic, low-income women living in Los Angeles. This cohort was chosen because Hispanic women face a higher burden of cardiovascular risk, and there is increasing evidence linking psychosocial stress to poor cardiovascular outcomes—a leading cause of death among women in the U.S.
In addition to exploring the effects of psychosocial stress during pregnancy, the study also examined the potential role of prenatal neighborhood social cohesion as a protective factor for postpartum hypertension. Social cohesion refers to the sense of trust and connection that an individual feels within their community. This was a novel aspect of the study, and Pardo’s findings suggest that higher levels of social cohesion may have a beneficial influence, contributing to lower blood pressure during the postpartum period.
Pardo remarked, “We chose social cohesion as a variable to understand how connected participants felt to their community. While many programs and policies don’t yet focus on fostering this cohesion, our research indicates that strengthening community ties could serve as a protective factor against postpartum hypertension.”
While much of maternal health research has concentrated on pregnancy outcomes, there has been limited investigation into the mother’s health after childbirth. Pardo’s study emphasizes the importance of continuing to monitor women’s health after birth, particularly those who experience high levels of stress during pregnancy. The research advocates for the identification of vulnerable mothers and the implementation of interventions designed to reduce stress and depressive symptoms during pregnancy.
“Pregnancy may play a crucial role in determining a woman’s long-term cardiovascular health,” Pardo concluded. “More research is needed to determine how different exposures during pregnancy may contribute to future cardiovascular risk, and how interventions to alleviate stress could benefit maternal health in the years following childbirth.”
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