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Epidemiology of Prenatal Stress: Depression and Anxiety

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Abstract

Prenatal stress is characterised in numerous ways. We discuss these different approaches including exposure to natural disasters, perceived stress and prenatal mental health. We focus on the epidemiology of depression, anxiety and pregnancy-specific anxiety. The advantages of a categorical and continuous measure of depression and anxiety are discussed, and relevant risk factors reviewed. This sets the context for understanding the mechanisms and consequences of prenatal stress effects on the developing child.

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Correspondence to Henning Tiemeier .

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Evans, J., Tiemeier, H. (2021). Epidemiology of Prenatal Stress: Depression and Anxiety. In: Wazana, A., Székely, E., Oberlander, T.F. (eds) Prenatal Stress and Child Development. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-60159-1_2

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