Perceived vulnerability to disease in pregnancy and parenthood and its impact on newborn health

Abstract

AbstractSusceptibility to diseases and fear of infections might vary intra-individually, depending on life circumstances. The main aims of the current research were to examine whether perceived vulnerability to disease (PVD) is higher in expectant women and their partners as compared to their non-pregnant peers (Study 1), and to test whether a mother’s disease aversion during pregnancy relates to health of her newborn (Study 2). In Study 1 we collected cross-sectional data from 412 men and women varying in parenthood status. Pregnant female participants were more likely to exhibit higher levels of PVD as compared with childless peers, although mothers also reported relatively high PVD scores. PVD in men, generally lower than that of women, seemed to be rather independent of their parenthood status. In Study 2, a sample of 200 pregnant women completed the PVD scale during the second pregnancy trimester and a follow-up survey after their child was born. We found that PVD in pregnant women was not related to further health outcomes in their newborns. Birth weight, average Apgar score, and general health of a newborn were not associated with the pregnancy-period mother’s PVD score. However, the probability of giving birth to a child with 10 Apgar points was higher in younger mothers and tended to decrease with the increasing number of health issues before pregnancy. Overall, this research contributes to understanding of the health-oriented beliefs of expectant parents and parents of infants, but it also shows that the possible, PVD-related disease avoidance has a relatively little effect on basic markers of a newborn’s health.