Which factor increases the risk of stress-related complications during pregnancy?

Which factor increases the risk of stress-related complications during pregnancy?

• A. High maternal anxiety
• B. Regular prenatal care
• C. Adequate social support
• D. Healthy baseline stress management

Answer: (A)

Elevated maternal anxiety increases risk of stress-related complications during pregnancy because it sustains the maternal stress response via the HPA axis, raising cortisol and catecholamine levels. These hormones can cross the placenta and influence fetal development, making preterm birth, low birth weight, and later neurobehavioral issues more likely. Anxiety also contributes to poor sleep, unhealthy coping behaviors, and elevated maternal blood pressure, which can compound risk. Protective factors—regular prenatal care, adequate social support, and healthy baseline stress management—help buffer this response by reducing perceived stress and improving coping and physiological regulation. So the factor that increases risk is high maternal anxiety due to its direct impact on the body's stress pathways affecting both mother and baby.

Elevated maternal anxiety increases risk of stress-related complications during pregnancy because it sustains the maternal stress response via the HPA axis, raising cortisol and catecholamine levels. These hormones can cross the placenta and influence fetal development, making preterm birth, low birth weight, and later neurobehavioral issues more likely. Anxiety also contributes to poor sleep, unhealthy coping behaviors, and elevated maternal blood pressure, which can compound risk. Protective factors—regular prenatal care, adequate social support, and healthy baseline stress management—help buffer this response by reducing perceived stress and improving coping and physiological regulation. So the factor that increases risk is high maternal anxiety due to its direct impact on the body's stress pathways affecting both mother and baby.