CORTISOL REACTIVITY AND SELF-REPORT ANXIETY IN THE ANTEPARTUM - PREDICTORS OF MATERNAL INTRAPARTAL OUTCOMES IN GRAVID ADOLESCENTS

A prospective, longitudinal investigation of the relation between cort isol reactivity, self-report anxiety and labor and delivery outcomes w as undertaken in a sample of non-urban pregnant adolescents. Cortisol and anxiety levels obtained in the -first half of pregnancy and again in mid-third trimester were found to be related positively to several individual negative labor and delivery outcomes, as well as to a summa ry score of negative maternal intrapartal outcomes. However, when chan ges in cortisol and anxiety over pregnancy were examined, greater incr eases in cortisol and anxiety over time were negatively related to ind ividual negative intrapartal outcomes, as well as to the maternal intr apartal outcomes summary score. Findings indicate that while an assess ment of how individuals react to stress at certain points during pregn ancy may be predictive of intrapartal outcomes, longitudinal examinati ons of gravid women's reactivity/anxiety states may be more indicative of their psychophysiological preparation for the intrapartum, and may be more predictive of outcome.