Perinatal stress project aims to identify objective markers, parental bonding, and epigenetic changes in preterm infants

Preterm infants face significant developmental challenges, and the long-term impact of perinatal stress is not fully understood. Current methods lack objective, non-invasive stress markers for these vulnerable infants during NICU hospitalization. Furthermore, the interplay between parental emotional distress, bonding, and infant developmental outcomes, especially regarding epigenetic changes from prenatal stress, remains under-investigated in humans. This project aims to bridge these critical knowledge gaps by developing new assessment tools and exploring complex biological and psychological interactions.

This cohort study will follow preterm infants and their parents from NICU hospitalization until age two. Researchers will develop novel non-invasive techniques to measure objective stress markers like heart rate variability (HRV), EEG maturation, and sleep stage markers in infants. Parental distress (depressive symptoms, anxiety, perceived stress) and parent-infant bonding will be assessed at multiple time points. Epigenetic changes, specifically NR3C1 and oxytocin receptor methylation, will be analyzed in mothers experiencing profound prenatal stress due to preterm labor. The project aims to develop a Perinatal Stress Calculator to predict developmental outcomes.

No findings are available as this is a project description outlining future research. The study aims to identify objective stress markers, understand parental emotional processes, and investigate epigenetic changes related to perinatal stress in preterm infants. Specific outcomes and quantitative results will be reported upon completion of the study, including the predictive value of various stress-related parameters on psychomotor and cognitive development.