Journal article

The association between in utero exposure to maternal psychological stress and female reproductive function in adolescence: A prospective cohort study

EV Bräuner, T Koch, DA Doherty, JE Dickinson, A Juul, R Hart, M Hickey

Comprehensive Psychoneuroendocrinology | ELSEVIER | Published : 2021

Abstract

Background: Experimental studies suggest that prenatal stress affects reproductive function in female offspring, but human evidence is sparse and inconsistent. In this present study, we aim to investigate whether maternal psychological stress, quantified as stressful life events during pregnancy, affect reproductive function in the female offspring. Method: In a large population-based pregnancy cohort study (The Raine Study) continuously followed from prenatal life through to adolescence we examined the association between the number of maternal stressful life events in both early and late gestation and subsequent ovarian and uterine function in 228 female adolescent offspring. Mothers prosp..

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University of Melbourne Researchers

Grants

Awarded by National Health and Medical Research Council


Funding Acknowledgements

The core management of the Raine Study is funded by University of Western Australia, Curtin University, Telethon Kids Institute, Women and Infants Research Foundation, Edith Cowan University, Murdoch University, The University of Notre Dame Australia and Raine Medical Research foundation for providing funding to core management of the Raine Study. The Raine Study Gen2-14 year follow-up: NHMRC (Sly et al., ID 211912); NHMRC Program Grant (Stanley et al., ID 003209); The Raine Medical Research Foundation. Dr. Brauner' and Trine Koch's salaries were supported by Doctor Sofus Carl Emil Friis and Spouse Olga Doris Friis foundation in Denmark and Helsefonden (Danish Health Foundation). Martha Hickey is funded by an NHMRC Practitioner Fellowship.