Maternal Stress and Fetal Motor Behavior: A Preliminary Report

Fetal motility was observed by ultrasound scan in 15 pregnant women
awaiting amniocentesis, in order to assess the effects of maternal stress on fetal motor behavior. Amniocentesis
was considered a stress situation giving rise to maternal anxiety not artificially induced. The control group
consisted of 15 pregnant women undergoing routine ultrasound examination. Fetal motor activity was assessed
in terms of quantity and quality. Anxiety was measured using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (S.T.A.I.).
Fetuses showed a significantly higher motor activity (p <0.01), although qualitative differences did not appear in
the experimental group. Anxiety score was also found to be higher than in controls (p <0.002 for the State and p
<0.05 for the Trait anxiety). Results are discussed in relation to possible implications for the psychosomatic
development of the child. Several lines of research have shown how an emotionally disturbed pregnancy may
have various adverse effects on the infant's well-being, suggesting that the mother's psychological experiences
during pregnancy are important for the subsequent physical and psychological development of the child.