| 1. |
- Cato, Karin, 1977-, et al.
(författare)
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Antenatal depressive symptoms and early initiation of breastfeeding in association with exclusive breastfeeding six weeks postpartum : a longitudinal population-based study
- 2019
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Ingår i: BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1471-2393 .- 1471-2393. ; 19
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BackgroundDepressive symptoms negatively impact on breastfeeding duration, whereas early breastfeeding initiation after birth enhances the chances for a longer breastfeeding period. Our aim was to investigate the interplay between depressive symptoms during pregnancy and late initiation of the first breastfeeding session and their effect on exclusive breastfeeding at six weeks postpartum.MethodsIn a longitudinal study design, web-questionnaires including demographic data, breastfeeding information and the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) were completed by 1217 women at pregnancy weeks 17–20, 32 and/or at six weeks postpartum. A multivariable logistic regression model was fitted to estimate the effect of depressive symptoms during pregnancy and the timing of the first breastfeeding session on exclusive breastfeeding at six weeks postpartum.ResultsExclusive breastfeeding at six weeks postpartum was reported by 77% of the women. Depressive symptoms during pregnancy (EPDS> 13); (OR:1.93 [1.28–2.91]) and not accomplishing the first breastfeeding session within two hours after birth (OR: 2.61 [1.80–3.78]), were both associated with not exclusively breastfeeding at six weeks postpartum after adjusting for identified confounders. Τhe combined exposure to depressive symptoms in pregnancy and late breastfeeding initiation was associated with an almost 4-fold increased odds of not exclusive breastfeeding at six weeks postpartum.ConclusionsWomen reporting depressive symptoms during pregnancy seem to be more vulnerable to the consequences of a postponed first breastfeeding session on exclusive breastfeeding duration. Consequently, women experiencing depressive symptoms may benefit from targeted breastfeeding support during the first hours after birth.
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| 2. |
- Cato, Karin, 1977-, et al.
(författare)
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Risk factors for exclusive breastfeeding lasting less than two months-Identifying women in need of targeted breastfeeding support
- 2017
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Ingår i: PLOS ONE. - : PUBLIC LIBRARY SCIENCE. - 1932-6203. ; 12:6
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Breastfeeding rates in Sweden are declining, and it is important to identify women at risk for early cessation of exclusive breastfeeding.Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate factors associated with exclusive breastfeeding lasting less than two months postpartum.Methods: A population-based longitudinal study was conducted at Uppsala University Hospital, Sweden. Six hundred and seventy-nine women were included in this sub-study. Questionnaires were sent at five days, six weeks and six months postpartum, including questions on breastfeeding initiation and duration as well as several other background variables. The main outcome measure was exclusive breastfeeding lasting less than two months postpartum. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used in order to calculate adjusted Odds Ratios (AOR) and 95% Confidence Intervals (95% CI).Results: Seventy-seven percent of the women reported exclusive breastfeeding at two months postpartum. The following variables in the multivariate regression analysis were independently associated with exclusive breastfeeding lasting less than two months postpartum: being a first time mother (AOR 2.15, 95% CI 1.32 +/- 3.49), reporting emotional distress during pregnancy (AOR 2.21, 95% CI 1.35 +/- 3.62) and giving birth by cesarean section (AOR 2.63, 95% CI 1.34 +/- 5.17).Conclusions: Factors associated with shorter exclusive breastfeeding duration were determined. Identification of women experiencing emotional distress during pregnancy, as well as scrutiny of caregiving routines on cesarean section need to be addressed, in order to give individual targeted breastfeeding support and promote longer breastfeeding duration.
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| 3. |
- Axfors, Cathrine, et al.
(författare)
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Adult attachment's unique contribution in the prediction of postpartum depressive symptoms, beyond personality traits
- 2017
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Ingår i: Journal of Affective Disorders. - : Elsevier BV. - 0165-0327 .- 1573-2517. ; 222, s. 177-184
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background:Personality traits such as neuroticism can help identify pregnant women at risk of postpartum depressive symptoms (PPDS). However, it is unclear whether attachment style could have an additional contribution to this risk elevation. This study aimed to examine the overlap of adult attachment insecurity and neuroticism/trait anxiety as PPDS predictors, taking into account baseline depressive symptoms.Methods:A Swedish population-based sample of pregnant women reported on adult attachment and either neuroticism (n = 1063) or trait anxiety (n = 555). Depressive symptoms were assessed at baseline, and at six weeks and six months postpartum. Correlations between attachment and neuroticism/trait anxiety were calculated. Generalized linear models of PPDS tested the effect of attachment anxiety and avoidance, adjusting for neuroticism/trait anxiety and baseline depression. Logistic regression models with combined high attachment anxiety and-neuroticism/trait anxiety visualized their value as risk factors beyond antenatal depression.Results:Attachment and neuroticism/trait anxiety were highly correlated (r = .55.77). Attachment anxiety exerted a partially independent effect on PPDS at six weeks (p < .05) and at six months (p < .05) adjusting for neuroticism. Among antenatally non-depressed, combined high attachment anxiety and high neuroticism or trait anxiety was predictive of PPDS at both assessment points. Limitations: Low acceptance rate, exclusive use of self-reports.Conclusions:Beyond personality, attachment anxiety had a small independent effect on the risk of PPDS. Combining items of adult attachment and neuroticism/trait anxiety could prove useful in antenatal screening for high risk of PPDS.
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| 4. |
- Axfors, Cathrine
(författare)
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Anxious personality traits in pregnant women : Associations with postpartum depression, delivery complications and health care use
- 2018
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Anxious personality traits, including those encompassed by negative emotionality (neuroticism) and the tendency to worry about close relationships (attachment anxiety) during pregnancy were the focus of this thesis. The overall aim was to examine perinatal correlates of these characteris-tics in terms of psychiatric and obstetric health as well as antenatal care (ANC).Papers I-II were part of a large population-based project on pregnant women in Uppsala in 2009-2012 (n=2160). Papers III-IV adjoined participants from several projects in 2005-2011, on oral contraceptive use, infertility, induced abortion, premenstrual mood disorder, and perina-tal depression (n=2819). The participants reported on the Swedish universities Scales of Per-sonality for neuroticism (papers II-IV) and the Attachment Style Questionnaire (ASQ) for attachment anxiety (papers I-II). The participants also answered the Edinburgh Postnatal De-pression Scale on depressive symptoms (paper II). In paper III, information on obstetric com-plications for primiparous women with singleton pregnancies (n=1969) was extracted from Swedish national health registers. In paper IV, ANC use was derived from medical records of obstetric low-risk women residing in Uppsala (n=1052).The ASQ had similar psychometric properties in pregnant women (n=1631) as in previous reports (paper I). In non-depressed pregnant women (n=1431), the combination of neuroticism and attachment anxiety was the best risk indicator of postpartum depressive symptoms (paper II). Whereas high neuroticism was not related to obstetric complications (paper III), it was associated with higher use of ANC (paper IV).Summarized, this thesis illustrates how anxious personality traits may predispose for post-partum depression and higher use of ANC in the absence of obstetric complications. Future development of these findings should be to evaluate individual and societal benefits of a greater emphasis on psychological support in ANC.
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| 5. |
- Axfors, Cathrine, et al.
(författare)
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Cohort profile : the Biology, Affect, Stress, Imaging and Cognition (BASIC) study on perinatal depression in a population-based Swedish cohort
- 2019
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Ingår i: BMJ Open. - : BMJ. - 2044-6055. ; 9:10
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- PURPOSE: With the population-based, prospective Biology, Affect, Stress, Imaging and Cognition (BASIC) cohort, we aim to investigate the biopsychosocial aetiological processes involved in perinatal depression (PND) and to pinpoint its predictors in order to improve early detection.PARTICIPANTS: From September 2009 to November 2018, the BASIC study at Uppsala University Hospital, Sweden, has enrolled 5492 women, in 6478 pregnancies, of which 46.3% first-time pregnancies and with an average age of 31.5 years. After inclusion around gestational week 16-18, participants are followed-up with data collection points around gestational week 32, at childbirth, as well as three times postpartum: after 6 weeks, 6 months and 1 year. At the last follow-up, 70.8% still remain in the cohort.FINDINGS TO DATE: In addition to internet-based surveys with self-report instruments, participants contribute with biological samples, for example, blood samples (maternal and from umbilical cord), biopsies (umbilical cord and placenta) and microbiota samples. A nested case-control subsample also takes part in cognitive and emotional tests, heart rate variability tests and bioimpedance tests. Subprojects have identified various correlates of PND of psychological and obstetric origin in addition to factors of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and immune system.FUTURE PLANS: In parallel with the completion of data collection (final follow-up November 2019), BASIC study data are currently analysed in multiple subprojects. Since 2012, we are conducting an ongoing follow-up study on the participants and their children up to 6 years of age (U-BIRTH). Researchers interested in collaboration may contact Professor Alkistis Skalkidou (corresponding author) with their request to be considered by the BASIC study steering committee.
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| 6. |
- Axfors, Cathrine, et al.
(författare)
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Investigating the association between neuroticism and adverse obstetric and neonatal outcomes
- 2019
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Ingår i: Scientific Reports. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2045-2322. ; 9
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Neuroticism is not only associated with affective disorders but also with certain somatic health problems. However, studies assessing whether neuroticism is associated with adverse obstetric or neonatal outcomes are scarce. This observational study comprises first-time mothers (n = 1969) with singleton pregnancies from several cohorts based in Uppsala, Sweden. To assess neuroticism-related personality, the Swedish universities Scales of Personality was used. Swedish national health registers were used to extract outcomes and confounders. In logistic regression models, odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (Cis) were calculated for the outcomes by an increase of 63 units of neuroticism (equalling the interquartile range). Analyses were adjusted for maternal age, educational level, height, body mass index, year of delivery, smoking during pregnancy, involuntary childlessness, and psychiatric morbidity. Main outcomes were mode of delivery, gestational diabetes mellitus, gestational hypertension, preeclampsia, induction of delivery, prolonged delivery, severe lacerations, placental retention, postpartum haemorrhage, premature birth, infant born small or large for gestational age, and Apgar score. Neuroticism was not independently associated with adverse obstetric or neonatal outcomes besides gestational diabetes. For future studies, models examining sub-components of neuroticism or pregnancy-specific anxiety are encouraged.
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| 7. |
- Axfors, Cathrine, et al.
(författare)
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Neuroticism is associated with higher antenatal care utilization in obstetric low-risk women
- 2019
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Ingår i: Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica. - : Wiley. - 0001-6349 .- 1600-0412. ; 98:4, s. 470-478
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- IntroductionElevated neuroticism is associated with higher health care utilization in the general population. This study aimed to investigate the association between neuroticism and the use of publicly financed antenatal care in obstetric low‐risk women, taking predisposing and need factors for health care utilization into consideration.Material and methodsParticipants comprised 1052 obstetric low‐risk women (no chronic diseases or adverse pregnancy conditions) included in several obstetrics/gynecology studies in Uppsala, Sweden. Neuroticism was self‐rated on the Swedish universities Scales of Personality. Medical records of their first subsequent pregnancy were scanned for antenatal care use. Associations between antenatal care use and neuroticism were analyzed with logistic regression (binary outcomes) or negative binomial regression (count outcomes) comparing the 75th and 25th neuroticism percentiles. Depending on the Akaike information criterion the exposure was modeled as either linear or with restricted cubic splines. Analyses were adjusted for predisposing (sociodemographic and parity) and need factors (body mass index and psychiatric morbidity).ResultsAfter adjustment, women with higher neuroticism had more fetal ultrasounds (incidence rate ratio = 1.09, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.02‐1.16), more emergency visits to an obstetrician/gynecologist (incidence rate ratio = 1.22, 95% CI 1.03‐1.45) and were more likely to visit a fear‐of‐childbirth clinic (odds ratio = 2.71, 95% CI 1.71‐4.29). Moreover, they more often consulted midwives in specialized antenatal care facilities (significant J‐shaped association).ConclusionsNeuroticism was associated with higher utilization of publicly financed antenatal care in obstetric low‐risk women, even after adjusting for predisposing and need factors. Future studies should address the benefits of interventions as a complement to routine antenatal care programs to reduce subclinical anxiety.
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| 8. |
- Axfors, Cathrine, et al.
(författare)
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Psychometric properties of the attachment style questionnaire in Swedish pregnant women : short and full versions
- 2017
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Ingår i: Journal of Reproductive and Infant Psychology. - : Routledge. - 0264-6838 .- 1469-672X. ; 35:5, s. 450-461
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objectives: (i) To evaluate the reliability and factor structure of the Attachment Style Questionnaire – Short Form (ASQ-SF) for use in pregnant women and (ii) to compare the reliability and factor structure of the short- and full version-ASQ among pregnant women. Background: Adult attachment insecurity is currently included as a major risk factor in studies of perinatal health. None of the self-report measures with a Swedish translation have been psychometrically evaluated in a pregnant cohort.Methods: A population-based cohort of 1631 pregnant women answered the ASQ in late pregnancy. Internal consistency (item- subscale correlations, Cronbach’s α, and α if item deleted) was evaluated for the seven available subscales. Con rmatory factor analysis (CFA) was run to examine the factor structure of the short form compared with the full-version. Test–retest correlations were assessed in a subgroup (n = 48).Results: All mean item-subscale correlations for the ASQ-SF were > 0.30. Cronbach’s α’s for ASQ-SF dimensions were as follows: Avoidance (0.87); Anxiety (0.89); Discomfort with Closeness (0.85); Relationships as Secondary (0.54); Con dence (0.83); Need for Approval (0.76); and Preoccupation with Relationships (0.77). No item removal substantively increased subscale α’s. The CFA demonstrated better model t for the ASQ-SF than for the full-version ASQ, while other reliability measures were similar. Test–retest correlations ranged from 0.65 to 0.84.Conclusion: The ASQ-SF showed similar psychometric properties in pregnant women as in the general population and had good reliability, but the optimal factor structure needs to be studied further. Results support the usage of the ASQ-SF in pregnant cohorts.
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| 9. |
- Breedh, Julia, et al.
(författare)
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Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis responsiveness, startle response, and sensorimotor gating in late pregnancy
- 2019
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Ingår i: Psychoneuroendocrinology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0306-4530 .- 1873-3360. ; 106, s. 1-8
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- During pregnancy, the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, the main regulator of the stress response, undergoes dramatic changes. The acoustic startle response (ASR) and the prepulse inhibition (PPI) of the startle response are neurophysiological research tools and objective measures of an individual's response to an emotional context or stressor. The ASR and PPI are influenced by psychiatric diseases characterized by anxiety symptoms and are sensitive to cortisol. Hence, the ASR and the PPI can be used to investigate the effects of pregnancy-induced endocrine changes and their contribution to affective disorders. The present study sought to investigate the association between measures of HPA-axis responsiveness, startle reactivity and sensorimotor gating during pregnancy that to date remains unknown. The eye-blink component of the ASR, and its prepulse inhibition, were measured in 107 late third trimester pregnant women. Saliva samples were collected to assess the cortisol awakening response (CAR), a measure of HPA-axis activity. Blood was sampled to measure serum levels of cortisol, cortisone and the cortisone to cortisol ratio. Ongoing anxiety disorders, sleep duration, smoking, and age were considered as potential confounders in the statistical analyses. CAR reactivity, measured as area under the curve (AUC) increase and above baseline, was positively associated with baseline startle magnitude [Cohen's d = 0.27; F (1, 105) = 4.99; p = 0.028, and Cohen's d = 0.30; F (1, 105) = 6.25; p = 0.014, respectively] as well as PPI at 86 dB [Cohen's d = 0.29; F (1, 105) = 5.93; p = 0.017; and Cohen's d = 0.34; F (1, 105) = 8.38; p = 0.005, respectively]. The observed positive correlation between startle magnitude in pregnant women and greater increase in cortisol during the awakening response may be interpreted as heightened neurophysiological reactivity, likely associated with dysregulation of the stress system.
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| 10. |
- Bränn, Emma, et al.
(författare)
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Inflammatory and anti-inflammatory markers in plasma : from late pregnancy to early postpartum
- 2019
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Ingår i: Scientific Reports. - : NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP. - 2045-2322. ; 9
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- During pregnancy, the woman's body undergoes tremendous changes in immune system adaptation. The immunological shifts that occur in pregnancy can partially be explained by alterations in hormonal levels. Furthermore, during pregnancy, many autoimmune diseases go into remission, only to flare again in the early postpartum period. Given these important changes in the clinical course of a number of autoimmune disorders, surprisingly little has been done to investigate the inflammatory profile changes across pregnancy and the postpartum period. Thus, the aim of this study was to describe how inflammatory and anti-inflammatory markers change from late pregnancy to the early postpartum period, using a multiplexed assay consisting of both well-known as well as exploratory proteins. Two-hundred-and-ninety women were included in this study and donated a total of 312 blood samples; 198 in late pregnancy (similar to gw38) and 114 in the postpartum period (similar to w8). The plasma blood samples were analyzed for 92 immune system related protein markers using Proseek Multiplex Inflammation I panel, a high-sensitivity assay based on proximity extension assay technology. Fifty-six inflammatory and anti-inflammatory markers were significantly different between pregnancy and the postpartum, of which 50 survived corrections for multiple comparisons. Out of these 50 markers, 41 decreased from pregnancy to postpartum, while the remaining 9 increased in the postpartum period. The top five markers with the greatest decrease in the postpartum period were Leukemia inhibitory factor receptor (LIF-R), Latency-associated peptide Transforming growth factor beta-1 (LAP TGF-beta-1), C-C motif chemokine 28 (CCL28), Oncostatin M (OSM) and Fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21). Top three markers that increased in the postpartum period were Tumor necrosis factor ligand superfamily member 11 (TRANCE), Tumor necrosis factor ligand superfamily member 12 (TWEAK), and C-C motif chemokine/Eotaxin (CCL11). This study revealed that the majority of the markers decreased from pregnancy to postpartum, and only a few increased. Several of the top proteins that were higher in pregnancy than postpartum have anti-inflammatory and immune modulatory properties promoting pregnancy progress. These results clearly reflect the tremendous change in the immune system in the pregnancy to postpartum transition.
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