Research Data
Description
This dataset forms the foundational epidemiological component of a prospective birth cohort study, the Birth Cohort. The research aimed to investigate the associations between prenatal maternal psychological distress (specifically depression and anxiety) and infant sleep disturbances in the first year of life. The core hypothesis tested was that prenatal depression and anxiety have differential effects on infant sleep outcomes, potentially mediated by distinct biological pathways, with a particular focus on identifying vulnerable subgroups and building a predictive framework using accessible clinical and demographic variables.
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This study employed a prospective birth cohort design to investigate the link between prenatal mental health and infant sleep. The core exposure, prenatal psychological distress, was assessed using two validated questionnaires. Maternal anxiety was measured with the Pregnancy-Related Anxiety Questionnaire (PRAQ), where a score of 24 or higher indicated significant symptoms. Maternal depression was assessed with the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), using a clinical cut-off score of 9 or higher. Based on these scores, mothers were categorized into four distinct groups for analysis: those with no symptoms, anxiety-only, depression-only, or comorbid anxiety and depression. A wide range of potential influencing factors—such as maternal age, education, health history, and family support—were also recorded via a baseline questionnaire. The primary outcome, infant sleep, was evaluated during the first year of life. Infant sleep patterns, including duration and nighttime awakenings, were captured as continuous variables using the Brief Infant Sleep Questionnaire (BISQ). A clinical diagnosis of infant sleep disturbance was determined using the Chinese Infant Sleep Assessment Scale (ISAS), applying age-specific thresholds to create a clear binary (yes/no) outcome. The statistical analysis followed a logical progression to test the study's hypotheses. First, the strength of the association between prenatal distress and infant sleep was determined using multivariable regression models (logistic and linear), which carefully controlled for other relevant factors like maternal education and infant gestational age