Prenatal stress and subsequent maternal pain associated with altered brain development in children

Chronic pain is a major public health issue, affecting one in five Canadians. The estimated costs of chronic pain in Canada are $60 billion CAD per year. Chronic pain impacts social, emotional, and daily functioning. However, every case of chronic pain starts as acute pain. Early detection and pain management may prevent the transition from acute to chronic pain.Research suggests that anxiety disorders may increase the risk of developing chronic pain. Public health measures put in place to stop the spread of COVID-19 have increased rates of anxiety, notably in pregnant individuals. Pregnant women currently have three to four times higher levels of anxiety than they did prior to the pandemic. Pandemic-related anxiety may increase the risk of pregnant women developing chronic pain. There is also an increased risk of prenatal stress to the developing brains of infants. Animal studies have shown that prenatal stress is related to altered brain development, increased pain sensitivity, and anxious behaviors in offspring. Moreover, both prenatal stress and maternal physical symptoms, such as pain, are linked to increased pain symptoms in children at 18 months of age. However, little is known about the relationships between prenatal stress and maternal pain, and whether it alters child brain development, thereby contributing to emotional, and pain sensitivities in children.This project will leverage longitudinal data collected from 10,000+ mothers across Canada to explore the relationships between prenatal stress, maternal pain, and child brain development. Identifying factors contributing to the development of chronic pain will lead to earlier intervention strategies to reduce the prevalence, costs and life-long suffering of chronic pain for Canadians and their families.