Perceived Parenting Stress Is Related to Cardiac Flexibility in Mothers: Data from the NorBaby Study

Francesca Parisi; Ragnhild Sørensen Høifødt; Agnes Bohne; Catharina Elisabeth Arfwedson Wang; Gerit Pfuhl

doi:10.3390/bs14020117

Perceived Parenting Stress Is Related to Cardiac Flexibility in Mothers: Data from the NorBaby Study

Behav Sci (Basel). 2024 Feb 5;14(2):117. doi: 10.3390/bs14020117.

Authors

Francesca Parisi¹, Ragnhild Sørensen Høifødt², Agnes Bohne^{2

3}, Catharina Elisabeth Arfwedson Wang², Gerit Pfuhl^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 7491 Trondheim, Norway.
² Department of Psychology, UiT the Arctic University of Norway, 9019 Tromsø, Norway.
³ Division of Child and Adolescent Health, University Hospital of Northern Norway, 9019 Tromsø, Norway.

Abstract

Heart rate variability (HRV) is an indicator of autonomic nervous system activity, and high levels of stress and/or depressive symptoms may reduce HRV. Here, we assessed whether (a) parental stress affected HRV in mothers during the perinatal period and whether this is mediated by bonding and (b) whether antenatal maternal mental states, specifically repetitive negative thinking, depressive symptoms, and pregnancy-related anxiety, have an impact on infant HRV, and lastly, we investigated (c) the relationship between maternal HRV and infant HRV. Data are from the Northern Babies Longitudinal Study (NorBaby). In 111 parent-infant pairs, cardiac data were collected 6 months after birth. In the antenatal period, we used the Pregnancy-Related Anxiety Questionnaire-Revised, the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, and the Perseverative Thinking Questionnaire; in the postnatal period, we used the Parenting Stress Index and the Maternal Postnatal Attachment Scale. Higher levels of perceived parenting stress but not depressive symptoms were associated with lower HRV in mothers (τ = -0.146), and this relationship was not mediated by maternal bonding. Antenatal maternal mental states were not associated with infant HRV. There was no significant correlation between maternal HRV and infant HRV. Our observational data suggest that perceived stress reduces cardiac flexibility. Future studies should measure HRV and parenting stress repeatedly during the perinatal period.

Keywords: depression; heart rate variability; infant health; parenting; perinatal period.

Grants and funding

This study was supported by ‘The National Program for Integrated Clinical Specialist and PhD-training for Psychologists’ in Norway. This program is a cooperation between the Universities of Bergen, Oslo, Tromsø, the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (Trondheim), the Regional Health Authorities, and the Norwegian Psychological Association. The program was funded jointly by the Ministry of Education and Research and the Ministry of Health and Care Services. Also, UiT The Arctic University of Norway funded the postdoc and research assistants who helped with the study. The APC was covered by the UiT publishing fund. Persons responsible for obtaining funding: R.S.H., A.B., G.P. and C.E.A.W.