human stress lecture 13

low birth weight
AND
vulnerability to disease LATER in life

high blood pressure
myocardial infection (MI)
coronary heart disease (CHD)
and
EARLY MORTALITY

malnutrition and parental smoking

reproductive

-fertilization and conception
-early pregnancy loss
-fetal structure/developmental outcomes
-length of gestation (premature delivery)
-infant birth weight
-neonatal complications
-subsequent developmental outcomes

pre-term birth & low birth weight infants
maternal stressors ---> birth outcomes (low birth weight etc)

stronger relationship of birth outcomesxsubjective stressors than birth stressorsx actual stressors
-this hows us that we can gain more information by analyzing what pregnant women are experiencing and how they are responding to them personally**

-40 pregnant women exposed to Northridge EQ
-women in various stages of pregnancy
-rated how upsetting she found the earthquake

1st trimester - greater stress appraisals
--more likely to have lower weight babies
THEREFORE
1st trimester is when pregnant women TRIP more about their pregnancy

-gestation length in response to earthquake

-those in 1st trimester gave birth earlier than 2nd tri or 3rd tri

1st trimester may be a particular point of VULNERABILITY when major stressors occur

-129 pregnant women
-is social support related to birth outcomes?

more social support correlated with:
higher birth weights
higher apgar scores (evaluation of infant immediately after birth)
fewer difficulties with labor

-buffering impact on stressors affects different outcomes
***increasing levels of social support in the context of of LARGE number of stressors is associated with INCREASES IN birth weight my ninjaaa

TRUE
-lower qualities of social support are similar to a stressful pregnancy (outcomes similar)
-social support when women are experiencing high levels of negative events can buffer the effects of these stressors

TRUE

HYPOTHESIS:
maternal stressors--->alterations in HPA axis --->health outcomes

cortisol (higher levels when stressed) can PASS through the placentia (direct route to HPA system and developing fetus

fetus can receive some of these hormones not just cortisol

pre term delivery

evidence that stressors and birth outcomes may be linked through the HPA system

greater maternal perceived stress and pregnancy related anxiety
leads to...
higher levels of ACTH (which increases production and release of cortisol)

Higher levels of social support availability: lower concentrations of ACTH and cortisol

yes

prenatal stress linked with:
lower birth rates
greater HPA activity
greater cortisol reactivity to stressors

low birth weight is associated with:
exaggerated cortisol reactivity later in life
**processes evident in animals may play out in humans as well**

-call mom! or another who provides social support
EVIDENCE?
study: after a stressor, girls instructed to
-talk on phone with mother
-comforted by mother
-watch a neutral movie (control group)

those who TALKED to their mother showed quicker cortisol level declines

if early life stressors were associated with health outcomes

rat pups are separated from their mothers

short term separation can have beneficial effects

upon return, the mothers care and nurture which leads to:
1.reductions in cortisol level
2. less HPA activity, faster recovery to subsequent stressors
3. less anxiety-like behavior
4. less age-related cognitive declines HOMIE

negative

monkeys who were raised by peers (no mother) show GREATER HPA activity and induce of greater behavioral distress in adulthood****

low foraging demand high foraging demand and variable foraging demand
low: obtain food with no effort
high: complete task to receive food
variable: unpredictable food access

infants had:
-more anxiety behavior
-greater HPA reactivity to stressors in adulthood

***study 1***
2 yr old infants who were adopted
***study 2***
group1: romanian orphans adopted after longer than 8 months after birth

group2: orphans adopted close to birth >4 months
group3: fucking canadians

dysregulation in cortisol rhythms
- orphans do not show regular decline throughout the day
-correlated with delays in cog functioning

The more months child spend in orphanage the HIGHER the level of evening cortisol

university students who have lost a parent vs. those who have not

experienced an acute stressor: deliver a speech

Greater increases in systolic blood pressure in those who have loss a parent

Similar pattern with cortisol

Even more normative type stressors might be associated with stress reactivity

4

depression

adulthood

FALSE

mag IS correlated with severity of dep

TRUE
through depression and anxiety

smoking, obesity, inactivity, suicide attempts, alcoholism, illicit drug use, >50 partners, STDS, brochitis

HUGE RANGE OF OUTCOMES

4 groups of female participants
4 diff combos of abuse and depression

abusive + depression = greatest reactivity

stressors create a pathway linking childhood abuse or stressors to negative health outcomes. THROUGH
health behaviors, social skills, emotion regulation

maternal
maternal stressors=HPA axis=birth outcomes=stress reactivity or health outcomes

early life stressors=HPA axis=health outcomes