Kokkinaki Theano, Anagnostatou Nicole, Markodimitraki Maria, Roumeliotaki Theano, Tzatzarakis Manolis, Vakonaki Elena, Giannakakis Giorgos, Tsatsakis Aristidis, Hatzidaki Eleftheria
Child Development and Education Unit, Laboratory of Applied Psychology, Department of Psychology, University of Crete, Rethymnon, Crete, Greece.
Department of Neonatology/Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, University Hospital of Heraklion, School of Medicine, University of Crete, Heraklion, Crete, Greece.
PLoS One. 2025 Jan 10;20(1):e0316520. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0316520. eCollection 2025.
Preterm births constitute a major public health issue and a chronic, cross-generational condition globally. Psychological and biological factors interact in a way that women from low socio-economic status (SES) are disproportionally affected by preterm delivery and at increased risk for the development of perinatal mental health problems. Low SES constitutes one of the most evident contributors to poor neurodevelopment of preterm infants. Maternal perinatal mental health disorders have persistent effects on behavioral and physiological functioning throughout the lifespan and may even be evident across generations. The overall objective of the proposed longitudinal, multi-disciplinary and multi-method study is to compare the association of psychosocial (maternal mental health, intersubjectivity, attachment, family functioning, dyadic coping and perceived social support), and biological factors (melatonin and heart rate variability) with preterm infants' development at 9 months (corrected age), between low and high SES families. We will collect data from preterm neonates (<37 weeks gestational age) hospitalized in the Department of Neonatology/Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of the University General Hospital of Heraklion, Greece, and their mothers. Data collection of psychosocial and biological factors will be carried out at birth, and at the corrected age of 6 and 9 months, while preterm infants' cognitive and social development will be assessed at 9 months corrected age. The findings of this study may highlight the need for early interventions for new mothers coming from low SES in order to promote their preterm infants' optimal early neurodevelopment and for community-evidence-based prevention efforts to restrict the cycle of health inequities and intergenerational mental disorders.
早产是一个重大的公共卫生问题，在全球范围内是一种慢性的、跨代的状况。心理和生物因素相互作用，使得社会经济地位低下的女性受早产影响的比例过高，且患围产期心理健康问题的风险增加。社会经济地位低下是早产婴儿神经发育不良最明显的因素之一。母亲围产期心理健康障碍会对整个生命周期的行为和生理功能产生持续影响，甚至可能在几代人之间都很明显。拟议的纵向、多学科和多方法研究的总体目标是比较社会心理因素（母亲心理健康、主体间性、依恋、家庭功能、二元应对和感知社会支持）和生物因素（褪黑素和心率变异性）与低社会经济地位家庭和高社会经济地位家庭中早产婴儿9个月（矫正年龄）时发育的关联。我们将收集希腊伊拉克利翁大学综合医院新生儿科/新生儿重症监护病房收治的早产新生儿（胎龄<37周）及其母亲的数据。社会心理和生物因素的数据收集将在出生时、矫正年龄6个月和9个月时进行，而早产婴儿的认知和社会发育将在矫正年龄9个月时进行评估。本研究的结果可能凸显出有必要对来自低社会经济地位的新妈妈进行早期干预，以促进其早产婴儿的最佳早期神经发育，并开展基于社区证据的预防工作，以限制健康不平等和代际精神障碍的循环。
