ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews the current state of the literature on pregnancy-related anxiety and birth outcomes and discusses future directions for this topic of research. We begin by briefly reviewing the history of research on birth outcomes and maternal anxiety in general. We then shift our focus to anxiety about pregnancy, specifically in relation to the primary birth outcomes of preterm birth and infant birth weight. We review conclusions of meta-analyses and systematic reviews on this topic and provide an update on this line of research from recent notable empirical articles. Collectively, the evidence indicates that pregnancy-related anxiety (also known as pregnancy-specific anxiety and pregnancy anxiety) is associated with shorter length of gestation and lower birth weight. We end by highlighting considerations for future research, including the need for larger sample sizes, control of key covariates, and state-of-the-art statistical methods. Finally, given the international breadth of this work, we recommend attending to cultural and national contexts that may affect measurement and generalizability of research on pregnancy anxiety and birth outcomes.
