Stress During Pregnancy and the Development of Diseases in the offspring: A Systematic-Review and Meta-Analysis.

Abstract Objective : The goal of this systematic-review and meta-analysis was to assess whether high maternal stress during pregnancy is associated with the development of pediatric pathology. Design : Epidemiological peer-reviewed studies published in English or Spanish assessing associations between maternal stress during pregnancy and psychiatric and medical diseases were selected. Participants : We retrieved 73,024 citations; 42 studies meeting inclusion criteria were assessed. Overall sample included 65,814,076 women. Findings : Overall odds ratio for the development of a medical disease was OR=1.24 (CI95=1.11, 1.39), Z=3.85, p Key conclusions : We concluded that exposure to high levels of stress during pregnancy are associated with autism spectrum disorder, obesity, and infantile colic in offspring. Implications for practice : Maternal stress during pregnancy should be addressed to tackle its potential impact in health across the life span.