# Impact of Perinatal Pandemic-Related Stress on the Early Caregiving Environment, Infant Functioning, DNA Methylation, and Telomere Length

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT SCH OF MED/DNT · 2021 · $712,242

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
Pregnancy marks a time of increased challenges among families that may be exacerbated by conditions
known to enhance stress reactivity and disrupt emotion regulation, such as posttraumatic stress disorder
(PTSD). For this already vulnerable population, the 2020 pandemic may constitute a trifecta of calamities, with
currently unknown, but likely deleterious effects on the caregiving environment and infant outcomes. In the first
three-month period, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on individuals, families, and
communities across the world, with preliminary evidence for an increase in the prevalence and severity of
mental health problems. As such, understanding the impact of PTSD and pandemic-related stress on families
with children born during the pandemic is critical for identifying and driving novel approaches to prevention and
intervention, especially during similar crises. The current study seeks to recruit a diverse cohort of women and
their partners who were in the final two trimesters of pregnancy during the COVID-19 pandemic. Phase 1 of the
study will involve a large-scale survey (N=2,000) of these individuals to assess perinatal stress exposure
occurring in the context of the pandemic. Phase 2 will involve selecting individuals from the Phase 1 survey to
establish two subgroups with high (n=200) and low (n=200) perinatal pandemic-related stress exposure to
participate in a comprehensive and longitudinal assessment protocol, including interviews, parent-child
interactions, an infant stress paradigm, and biological sample collection. Aims are to: (1) use person-centered
latent class analysis of perinatal pandemic-related experiences to identify unique profiles that vary on the types
and quantity of stress exposure and differentially associate with race/ethnicity, caregiver-reported perceived
stress, emotion dysregulation, PTSD, parenting, and infant dysregulation (stress-reactivity and
emotional/behavioral problems) in the large Phase 1 survey cohort (N=2,000); (2) Compare infants with high
and low perinatal pandemic-related stress and examine caregiver emotion dysregulation, PTSD, and
responsive parenting as potential mediators of this relationship in the longitudinal Phase 2 cohort (N=400); and
(3) identify differentially methylated regions of DNA and differences in telomere length and changes over time
in infants in high v. low perinatal stress groups. Assessment procedures will integrate the experiences and
functioning of both the mother and partner when considering implications for offspring. This work will yield
mechanistic insight on how pandemic-related stress, caregiver emotion dysregulation, and PTSD influence
multiple aspects of the caregiving environment and infant outcomes and is expected to directly inform perinatal
public health interventions as the COVID-19 pandemic continues and its sequelae unfold.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10199458
- **Project number:** 1R01HD106617-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT SCH OF MED/DNT
- **Principal Investigator:** Margaret J Briggs-Gowan
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $712,242
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2021-04-01 → 2025-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10199458

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10199458, Impact of Perinatal Pandemic-Related Stress on the Early Caregiving Environment, Infant Functioning, DNA Methylation, and Telomere Length (1R01HD106617-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10199458. Licensed CC0.

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