NEGATIVE EMOTIONALITY AND CORTISOL DURING ADOLESCENT PREGNANCY AND ITS EFFECTS ON INFANT HEALTH AND AUTONOMIC NERVOUS-SYSTEM REACTIVITY

This research examined the relations among maternal emotionality, biol ogy, and infant outcome and autonomic nervous system reactivity (cardi ac vagal tone). The sample consisted of 27 pregnant adolescents and th eir 3-week-old infants. Measures of anxiety, depression; anger, and sa liva cortisol were obtained from the adolescents both pre- and postnat ally. Infant outcome measures consisted of gestational age at delivery , birth weight, number of risk factors at birth and at 24 hr, Apgar sc ore at 1 and 5 min, abnormalities on newborn physical exam, number of resuscitation measures used on the infant, and cardiac vagal tone. Sig nificant relations were found among the adolescent's emotionality, inf ant physical outcomes, and cardiac vagal tone. Higher concentrations o f adolescent cortisol were associated with lower infant Apgar scores a nd an increased need for resuscitation measures performed on the infan t. The positive association between negative emotions and better infan t outcomes also was found and may reflect the sensitivity of the adole scents to their feelings and needs during pregnancy. Social support du ring pregnancy mediated the effects of maternal negative emotionality and infant cardiac vagal tone. (C) 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.