Stress and Mood Disorders during Pregnancy: Fetal and Infant Outcomes

Catherine Monk, PhD Phone: 851 5576, NYPH, Dept. Psychiatry Lab members: Sylvia Cabral, Eugenia Cherkasskaya, Amy Garcia, Gabi Grosser, Sonia Mbabazi, Katharine Williams Collaborators: Raymond I. Stark, MD, Alex Spadola, M.D. Obstetrics & Gynecology Postdoctoral Fellow: Lynn Evans, PhD.

Our laboratory investigates the possible effects of pregnant women's stress and depression on fetal and infant development, specifically with respect to the future child's biobehavioral reactivity, affect regulation, and risk for psychopatholgy. We are interested both in detecting possible fetal markers for risk for emotional problems as well as in discovering the biological pathways by which women's mood might affect fetal and child development. Paramount in our minds as we conduct our research are the twin goals of characterizing how the in utero period is significant to development and maintaining the perspective that if indeed pregnant women's moods affect the fetus, more attention should be paid to supporting women during this phase of life.

Selected publications:

Bergner, S. & Monk, C. (in press). Dyadic intervention during pregnancy? Treating pregnant women and possibly reaching the future baby. Infant Mental Health Journal.

Werner E. & Monk, C. (in press). Review of Forms of Intersubjectivity in Infant Research and Adult Treatment by Beatrice Beebe, Steven Knoblauch, Judith Rustin, Dorienne Sorter. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, Practice & Training.

Gorenstein, E. E., Tager, F. A., Shapiro, P. A., Monk, C. & Sloan, R. P. (in press). Cognitive-Behavior Therapy for Reduction of Persistent Anger. Cognitive and Behavioral Practice.

Monk, C., Sloan, R.P., Myers, M.M., Ellman, L., Werner, E., Jeon, J.,Tager, F., & Fifer, W.P. Fetal heart rate reactivity differsby women's psychiatric status: An early marker for developmental risk?
Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. (2004)

Monk, C., Myers, M. M., Sloan, R.P., Ellman, L., & Fifer, W. P. (2003) The effects of women's stress-elicited physiological activity and chronic anxiety on fetal heart rate. Journal of Development and Behavioral Pediatrics 24:32-38.i

Fifer, W. P, Monk, C., & Moon, C. (2001) Prenatal development and risk. Blackwell Handbook of Infancy Research.

Monk, C., Kovelenku, P., Ellman, L. M., Sloan, R. P., Bagiella, E., Gorman, J. M., & Pine, D. S. (2001) Reduced Cardiovascular Autonomic Control in Pediatric Anxiety Disorders. International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology 4: 199-206.

Monk, C. (2001) Stress and mood disorders during pregnancy: Implications for Child Development. Psychiatric Quarterly 72: 347-357.

Monk, C., Fifer, W. P., Sloan, R. P., Myers, M. M., Bagiella, E., Ellman, L., & Hurtado, A. (2001) Physiologic responses to cognitive challenge during pregnancy: Effects of task and repeat testing. International Journal of Psychophysiology, 40: 149-159.

Monk, C., Fifer, W. P., Sloan, R. P., Myers, M. M., Trien, L., & Hurtado, A. (2000) Maternal stress responses and anxiety during pregnancy: Effects on fetal heart rate. Developmental Psychobiology, 36: 67-77.