Pregnancy massage reduces prematurity, low birthweight and postpartum depression

Pregnant women diagnosed with major depression were given 12 weeks of twice per week massage therapy by their significant other or only standard treatment as a control group. The massage therapy group women versus the control group women not only had reduced depression by the end of the therapy period, but they also had reduced depression and cortisol levels during the postpartum period. Their newborns were also less likely to be born prematurely and low birthweight, and they had lower cortisol levels and performed better on the Brazelton Neonatal Behavioral Assessment habituation, orientation and motor scales.We would like to thank the women, men and infants who participated in this study and the research associates who assisted us. This research was supported by a Merit Award (MH46586), Senior Research Scientist Awards (MH00331 and AT001585) and a March of Dimes Grant (# 12-FYO3-48) to Tiffany Field and funding from Johnson and Johnson Pediatric Institute to the Touch Research Institute

Relacionamento conjugal durante a gravidez mulheres e homens ansiosos e deprimidos

To assess anxiety, depression and relationship satisfaction in both women and men during pregnancy, the State Anxiety Inventory (STAI), The Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D) and The Relationship Questionnaire (RQ) were administered during the second trimester to a sample of 59 pregnant women and their partners. Anxious pregnant women rated their relationships as less positive. Depressed pregnant women also rated their relationships as less positive. The women’s anxiety scores were predictive of their positive and negative relationship scores. The women and their partners’ negative relationship scores were also predictive of each others’ negative relationship scores. These results highlight the importance of targeting anxiety as well as depression, and pregnant women as well as their partners in prenatal intervention programs.Para avaliar a ansiedade, a depressão e o relacionamento conjugal em mulheres e homens durante a gravidez, o State Anxiety Inventory (STAI), o Center for Epidemiological Studies ­Depression Scale (CES­D) e o Relationship Questionnaire (RQ) foram administrados durante o segundo trimestre a uma amostra de 59 grávidas e seus companheiros. As mulheres grávidas ansiosas avaliaram o seu relacionamento como menos positivo. As mulheres grávidas deprimidas também avaliaram o seu relacionamento como mesmo positivo. Os valores de ansiedade mostraram ser preditores do relacionamento positivo e negativo. Os valores do relacionamento da mulher e do seu companheiro também se mostraram mutuamente preditores dos seus relacionamentos negativos. Estes resultados mostram a importância de considerar a ansiedade tanto quanto a depressão e a mulher grávida tanto quanto o seu companheiro em programas de intervenção pré-natal.This research was supported by grants from the March of Dimes (12FY03-48) and NIMH (MH# 46586) and NIMH Research ScientistAwards (MH# 00331 andAT# 001585) to Tiffany Field, funding from Johnson & Johnson to the Touch Research Institutes, and a fellowship to Barbara Figueiredo (POCI/SAU-ESP/56397/2004, funded under the 2010 Science and Innovation Operational Program (POCI 2010) of the Community Support Board III, and supported by the European Community Fund FEDER)

Partner relationships during the transition to parenthood

Partner relationships are relevant in the psychological adjustment during the transition to parenthood, but mothers have been studied more often than fathers in this respect. The Relationship Questionnaire (RQ) to assess negative and positive dimensions of the partner relationship, The Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) to assess depression an the State Anxiety Inventory (STAi) to assess anxiety were administered to 43 women and their partners recruited during the second trimester of pregnancy and seen again until after delivery to assess differences in women's/men's anxiety and depression according to partner relationships. Results indicate that women/men with a less positive relationship with the partner show higher anxiety than women/men with a more positive partner relationship, and those women/men with a more negative relationship with the partner show both higher depression and higher anxiety than women/men with a less negative relationship. Also partners of women/men with a more negative partner relationship show higher depression than partners of women/men with a less negative relationship. Psychological adjustement during the transition to parenthood of both the women/men and the partner is impacted by the partner relationship.We would like to thank the couples that participated in this study and the researchers (Yanexy Vera and Karla Gil) who assisted with the study. This research was supported by grants from the March of Dimes (12FY03-48) and NIMH (MH# 46586) and NIMH Research Scientist Awards (MH# 00331 and AT# 001585) to Tiffany Field, funding from Johnson & Johnson to the Touch Research Institutes, and a grant from the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (POCI/SAU-ESP/56397/2004) to Barbara Figueiredo

Massage therapy reduces pain in pregnant women, alleviates prenatal depression in both parents and improves their relationships

Prenatally depressed women (N=47) were randomly assigned to a group that received massage twice weekly from their partners from 20 weeks gestation until the end of pregnancy or a control group. Self-reported leg pain, back pain, depression, anxiety and anger decreased more for the massaged pregnant women than for the control group women. In addition, the partners who massaged the pregnant women versus the control group partners reported less depressed mood, anxiety and anger across the course of the massage therapy period. Finally, scores on a relationship questionnaire improved more for both the women and the partners in the massage group. These data suggest that not only mood states but also relationships improve mutually when depressed pregnant women are massaged by their partners.We would like to thank the mothers and fathers who participated in this study. This research was supported by a Merit Award (MH # 46586), an NIH grant (AT# 00370), Senior Research Scientist Awards (MH#0033 1 and AT# 001585) and a March of Dimes Grant (# 12-FYO3-48) to Tiffany Field and funding from Johnson and Johnson Pediatric Institute to the Touch Research Institutes

Chronic prenatal depression and neonatal outcome

Four hundred and thirty pregnant women were recruited at approximately 22 weeks gestation at prenatal clinics. Of these, 86 (20%) were diagnosed as depressed. The women were seen again at approximately 32 weeks gestation and after delivery. Chronicity of depression was evidenced by continuing high depression scores in those women diagnosed as depressed. Comorbid problems were chronically high anxiety, anger, sleep disturbance, and pain scores. Less optimal outcomes for the depressed women included lower gestational age and lower birthweight of their newborns

Moderate versus light pressure massage therapy leads to greater weight gain in preterm infants

Sixty-eight preterm infants (M GA= 30 weeks) were randomly assigned to a moderate or to a light pressure massage therapy group to receive 15 massages three times per day for 5 days. Behavior state, stress behaviors and heart rate were recorded for 15 min before and during the first 15-min therapy session. Weight gain was recorded over the 5-day therapy period. The moderate versus light pressure massage group gained significantly more weight per day. During the behavior observations the moderate versus light pressure massage group showed significantly lower increases from the pre-session to the session recording on: (1) active sleep; (2) fussing; (3) crying; (4) movement; and (5) stress behavior (hiccupping). They also showed a smaller decrease in deep sleep, a greater decrease in heart rate and a greater increase in vagal tone. Thus, the moderate pressure massage therapy group appeared to be more relaxed and less aroused than the light pressure massage group which may have contributed to the greater weight gain of the moderate pressure massage therapy group.We would like to thank the mothers and infants who participated in this study and Julia Beutler, Larissa Feijo, Karla Gill and Yanexy Vera for their help with participant recruitment and data collection. We would also like to thank John Allen for his help with EKG analysis software. This research was supported by Senior Research Scientist Awards (#MH00331 and #AT01585) and an NIHM merit award (MH #46586) and a March of Dimes Grant (#12-FY03-48) to Tiffany Field, an NCCAM research Grant to Maria Hernandez-Reif (#AT00370) and an NCCAM research supplement (#AT00370-02S 1) to Miguel A. Diego and funding from Johnson and Johnson Pediatric Institute

Prenatal paternal depression

Prenatal depressive symptoms, anxiety, anger and daily hassles were investigated in 156 depressed and non-depressed pregnant women and their depressed and non-depressed partners (fathers-to-be). Depressed versus non-depressed fathers had higher depression, anxiety and daily hassles scores. Although the pregnant women in general had lower anxiety, anger and daily hassles scores than the men, the scores on the measures for depressed fathers and depressed mothers did not differ. Paternal depression appeared to have less effect than maternal depression on their partners’ scores. However, the similarity between the scores of depressed mothers and depressed fathers highlights the importance of screening for depression in fathers-to-be as well as mothers-to-be during pregnancy.We would like to thank the mothers and infants who participated in this study. This research was supported by a merit award (MH #46586) and Senior Research Scientist Awards from NIH (MH #00331 and AT #001585) and a March of Dimes grant (#12-FY03-48) to Tiffany Field and funding by Johnson and Johnson Pediatric Institute to the Touch Research Institutes

Prenatal dopamine and neonatal behavior and biochemistry

Depressed pregnant women (N=126) were divided into high and low prenatal maternal dopamine (HVA) groups based on a tertile split on their dopamine levels at 20 weeks gestation. The high versus the low dopamine group had lower Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D) scores, higher norepinephrine levels at the 20-week gestational age visit and higher dopamine and serotonin levels at both the 20- and the 32-week gestational age visits. The neonates of the mothers with high versus low prenatal dopamine levels also had higher dopamine and serotonin levels as well as lower cortisol levels. Finally, the neonates in the high dopamine group had better autonomic stability and excitability scores on the Brazelton Neonatal Behavior Assessment Scale. Thus, prenatal maternal dopamine levels appear to be negatively related to prenatal depression scores and positively related to neonatal dopamine and behavioral regulation, although these effects are confounded by elevated serotonin levels.We would like to thank the mothers and infants who participated in this study. This research was supported by a Merit Award (MH#46586) and NIH grant (AT#00370) and Senior Research Scientist Awards(MH#00331 and AT#001585) and a March of Dimes Grant (#12-FYO3-48)to Tiffany Field and funding from Johnson and Johnson Pediatric Institute to the Touch Research Institute

Prenatal serotonin and neonatal outcome: brief report

The purpose of the present study was to determine the relationships between prenatal serotonin levels and other biochemical values during pregnancy as well as their relationships to neonatal biochemical and behavioral variables. To address that question, the pregnant women were divided into the top and bottom tertiles based on their serotonin levels at 20 weeks gestational age

Comorbid depression and anxiety effects on pregnancy and neonatal outcome

The effects of comorbid depression and anxiety were compared to the effects of depression alone and anxiety alone on pregnancy mood states and biochemistry and on neonatal outcomes in a large multi-ethnic sample. At the prenatal period the comorbid and depressed groups had higher scores than the other groups on the depression measure. But, the comorbid group had higher anxiety, anger and daily hassles scores than the other groups, and they had lower dopamine levels. As compared to the non-depressed group, they also reported more sleep disturbances and relationship problems. The comorbid group also experienced a greater incidence of prematurity than the depressed, the high anxiety and the non-depressed groups. Although the comorbid and anxiety groups were lower birthweight than the non-depressed and depressed groups, the comorbid group did not differ from the depressed and anxiety groups on birth length. The neonates of the comorbid and depressed groups had higher cortisol and norepinephrine and lower dopamine and serotonin levels than the neonates of the anxiety and non-depressed groups as well as greater relative right frontal EEG. These data suggest that for some measures comorbidity of depression and anxiety is the worst condition (e.g., incidence of prematurity), while for others, comorbidity is no more impactful than depression alone.This research was supported by a Merit Award (MH #46586), an NIH grant (AT #00370) and Senior Research Scientist Awards (MH #0033 1 and AT #001585) and a March of Dimes Grant (#12-FYO3-48) to Tiffany Field and funding from Johnson and Johnson Pediatric Institute to the Touch Research Institute