Maternal prenatal social contact during the COVID-19 pandemic predicts infant birth weight

• Published in: Early human development 2023-12, Vol.187, p.105881-105881, Article 105881
• Main Authors: Morris, Alyssa R., Sellery, Pia E., Truong, Van, Jeyasingh, Divya, Haddan, Lila, Saxbe, Darby E.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adjusted birth weight; Birth Weight; Coronavirus; COVID-19 - epidemiology; Female; Humans; Infant; Longitudinal Studies; Maternal; Mental health; Mothers - psychology; Pandemics; Perinatal; Pregnancy; Psychological Tests; Self Report; Social support
• ISSN: 0378-3782; 1872-6232; 1872-6232
• DOI: 10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2023.105881

Social connectedness and mental health have been associated with infant birth weight, and both were compromised by the COVID-19 pandemic. We sought to examine whether changes in maternal prenatal social contact due to the COVID-19 pandemic were associated with infant birth weight and if maternal prenatal mental health mediated this association. A longitudinal study of mothers and their infants born during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. The sample consisted of 282 United States-based mother-infant dyads. Depressive symptoms were measured with the Beck Depression Inventory-II, anxiety was measured with the State Anxiety Inventory, and stress was measured using the Perceived Stress Scale 14. We also asked participants about pandemic-related changes in social contact across domains. Adjusted birth weight was calculated from birth records or participant-report when birth records were unavailable. Decreases in social contact during the pandemic were associated with lower adjusted infant birth weight (B = 76.82, SE = 35.82, p = .035). This association was mediated by maternal prenatal depressive symptoms [Effect = 15.06, 95 % CI (0.19, 35.58)] but not by prenatal anxiety [95 % CI (−0.02, 32.38)] or stress [95 % CI (−0.31, 26.19)]. These findings highlight concerns for both mothers and infants in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, since birth weight can have long-term health implications and the social restructuring occasioned by the pandemic may lead to lasting changes in social behavior. •Longitudinal study of pregnancy during the COVID-19 pandemic verses pre-pandemic•Decreases in prenatal social contact are associated with lower infant birth weight.•Prenatal depression mediated association between social contact and birth weight.•Reduced social contact during COVID-19 may impact maternal and infant health.