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Abstract Background Gestational anemia, most commonly caused by iron deficiency, may increase the risk of maternal anxiety and depression and have a potentially far-reaching impact on mother’s and newborn’s health. Several mechanisms, such as effects of iron deficiency on cerebral neurotransmitter metabolism, have been suggested. None of the earlier studies have assessed the association between gestational anemia and depression, anxiety and pregnancy-related anxiety simultaneously. Methods Women, participating in the FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study and attending maternity welfare clinics in Turku, whose hemoglobin (Hb) values during pregnancy were available were included in this study (n = 1273). The study group consisted of 301 women with Hb levels

Abstract Background Smoking in pregnancy constitutes a preventable risk factor for fetal/child development and maternal-fetal attachment (MFA) seems to contain a momentum that can break the chain of adverse outcomes by promoting maternal prenatal health practices. This study aimed to explore the association of MFA with smoking at any time during pregnancy and smoking cessation in early pregnancy, and the modifying role of MFA on the expected effects of education and prenatal psychological distress (PPD) on prenatal smoking behavior. Methods The pregnant women (n = 3766) participated in the The FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study in Finland between December 2011 and April 2015. The binary outcomes, smoking at any time during pregnancy and smoking cessation in early pregnancy, were obtained from self-reports at gestational weeks (gwks) 14 and 34 and The Finnish Medical Birth Register. MFA was assessed with the Maternal-Fetal Attachment Scale (MFAS) at gwks 24 and 34. Logistic regression analyses were used to determine the association between MFA and maternal prenatal smoking behavior. Findings The prevalence of smoking was 16.5%, and 58.1% of the smokers quit smoking during pregnancy. The independent associations of total MFA scores with prenatal smoking behavior were not established (aOR = 1.00-1.02, multiplicity adjusted p > 0.05). A higher score in the altruistic subscale of MFA, Giving of self, associated with a higher probability of smoking cessation (24 gwks: aOR = 1.13, 95% CI [1.04, 1.24], p = 0.007, multiplicity adjusted p = 0.062; 34 gwks: aOR = 1.17, 95% CI [1.07, 1.29], p

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.