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By Pooja Toshniwal Paharia Mar 17 2023 Reviewed by Danielle Ellis, B.Sc.

In a recent study published in JAMA Network Open, researchers assessed the relationship between coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-associated stress in the antenatal period and the mental well-being of mothers and their infants in the postpartum period. Study: Association of Antenatal COVID-19–Related Stress With Postpartum Maternal Mental Health and Negative Affectivity in Infants. Image Credit: GrooveZ/Shutterstock Background

Studies have reported that antenatal stressors significantly increase the risk of adverse postpartum outcomes regarding mental well-being, such as cognitive and behavioral problems among infants. Cases of anxiety and depression during pregnancy have significantly increased during the severe acute respiratory coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic, with lowered positive affectivity, worsened orienting behavior, and higher surgency among infants.

However, the association between COVID-19-associated stress and postpartum maternal and infant outcomes is not completely understood. Previous studies evaluating the effects of antenatal stressors on maternal and infantile health outcomes were largely cross-sectional, single-center, retrospective, with small sample populations, and often utilized unvalidated assessment measures with no documentation of psychometric properties. About the study

In the present longitudinal survey-based study, researchers evaluated the impact of antenatal SARS-CoV-2 infection-associated stress on postpartum maternal and infant mental health outcomes.

The study comprised 318 individuals aged ≥11.0 years who participated in the coronavirus disease 2019 risks across lifespan (CORAL) study conducted in the United Kingdom (UK), United States (US), and Australia. Females who were expecting at the initial evaluation between 5 May and 30 September 2020 and completed two follow-up evaluations between 28 October 2021 and 24 April 2022 at three-month intervals were considered for the analysis.

In addition, the participants were invited to fill out a fourth survey on maternal mental well-being and infant temperament in the follow-up period. COVID-19-associated stress levels were evaluated using the pandemic anxiety measurement scale. The team used the eight-component patient health questionnaire to assess depression among mothers and the seven-component general anxiety disorder (GAD) scale to assess generalized anxiety levels.

During follow-ups, postpartum distress levels were evaluated using the 10.0-component postpartum distress assessment measure, and health outcomes among infants were assessed using the Infant Behavior questionnaire. Individuals were recruited for the study through paid advertising, social media, mothers' group newsletters, mental well-being organizations, and web-based pregnancy forums. Related StoriesHyperinflammation triggers long COVID headachesWhat is the gastrointestinal impact of Long Covid?Early outpatient treatment of COVID-19 with metformin could reduce the risk of developing long COVID

Linear mixed-effects modeling was performed for the analysis. Sensitivity analyses were performed controlling for maternal mental health at initial evaluation and COVID-19 risks experienced during pregnancy and the age of the infants during follow-up assessments. The study participants were provided Amazon gift vouchers of A$100 for the initial survey and A$20 for follow-up surveys. Results

The mean age of the study participants was 32 years, and among the study participants, 28% (n=88), 30% (n=94), and 43% (n=136) resided in Australia, the United States, and the United Kingdom, respectively, among whom, 87% (n=276) were White, and 81% (n=256) had university degrees. A history of psychiatric disorders was reported by 36% (n=114) of the study participants.

Other races and ethnicities included in the sample population were Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, Asian, Hispanic, mixed, or other, among two, 12, eight, seven, and 10 participants, respectively. High school education was attained by 19 women and professional or vocational training by 41 women.

At the initial evaluation, the mean values for the number of children and the gestational age (in months) were 1.20 and 5.80, respectively. At the final evaluation, the mean infant age was 14 months. COVID-19-associated stress in the antenatal period showed significant associations with distress, anxiety, and depression among mothers and negative affectivity among infants in the postpartum period. Sensitivity analyses yielded similar findings.

At the initial evaluation, three women showed mild GAD and depression (mean scores on the GAD-7 scale and Patient Health questionnaire of 6.70 and 7.80, respectively), and symptoms remained elevated for 17.0 months postpartum. There were no interactive associations between the age of the infants and antenatal SARS-CoV-2 infection-associated stress with infant health outcomes. Conclusions

Overall, the study findings showed that antenatal pandemic-associated stressors must be targeted to improve mothers' and infants' postpartum outcomes. Expecting women must be considered vulnerable and prioritized during COVID-19 and other pandemics and provided appropriate care for physical and mental well-being.

Further research must be conducted to determine methods of reducing pandemic-associated stress to promote maternal and neonatal well-being in the postpartum period. The long-term relationships between SARS-CoV-2 infection-associated stress and maternal and neonatal health must be assessed.

Psychological and biological vulnerability markers among a more diverse group of pregnant women belonging to different ethnicities and residing in different geographical regions must be identified to personalize antenatal healthcare. Journal reference: Schweizer, S. et al. (2023) "Association of Antenatal COVID-19–Related Stress With Postpartum Maternal Mental Health and Negative Affectivity in Infants", JAMA Network Open, 6(3), p. e232969. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.2969. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2802388

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UK

Protesters throw powder on Tower Bridge during London Marathon

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Protesters throw powder on Tower Bridge during London Marathon

Two pro-Palestinian demonstrators have thrown red powder on Tower Bridge – just moments before leading runners in the London Marathon went past.

The protesters were arrested on suspicion of causing a public nuisance and remain in custody, said the Metropolitan Police.

A video shared by Youth Demand, which is calling for a trade embargo on Israel, shows two people jumping over a barrier that separates spectators from the race course.

The pair, wearing t-shirts that say “Youth Demand: Stop Arming Israel”, are then seen standing in the middle of the road on the bridge.

Pic: LNP
Image:
Pic: LNP

They throw red powder in the air as an official marathon car goes past displaying the race time.

A motorbike with a cameraman on board continues along the route, while a second motorbike stops and one of the riders gets off and pushes the pair out of the way, just before the men’s elite runners pass.

Several police officers then jump over the barrier and detain the pair, the footage shows.

More on London Marathon 2025

There appeared to be no impact on the marathon.

More than 56,000 participants were expected to take part in the 26.2-mile race through the capital.

Sabastian Sawe of Kenya won the men’s elite race in a time of two hours, two minutes and 27 seconds, while Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa shattered the women’s-only world record in two hours, 15 minutes and 50 seconds.

Assefa beat the previous best of two hours, 16 minutes and 16 seconds set last year in London by Kenyan Peres Jepchirchir.

Read more:
Sky’s Beth Rigby running marathon in honour of ‘dearest friend’
Badenoch does not rule out local coalitions with Reform

Pic: LNP
Image:
Pic: LNP

The Metropolitan Police said in a statement: “At around 10.38am, two protesters from Youth Demand jumped over barriers at Tower Bridge and threw red paint on to the road.

“Marathon event staff intervened to remove the protesters from the path of the men’s elite race which was able to pass unobstructed.”

The force added that they were “quickly supported by police officers who arrested the protesters on suspicion of causing a public nuisance”.

The Met said the paint “appeared to be chalk-based” and was not expected to “present a hazard to runners yet to pass this point”.

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Business

Chair candidates battle to check in at Premier Inn-owner Whitbread

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Chair candidates battle to check in at Premier Inn-owner Whitbread

Two chairs of FTSE-100 companies are vying to succeed Adam Crozier at the top of Whitbread, the London-listed group behind the Premier Inn hotel chain.

Sky News has learnt that Christine Hodgson, who chairs water company Severn Trent, and Andrew Martin, chair of the testing and inspection group Intertek, are the leading contenders for the Whitbread job.

Mr Crozier, who has chaired the leisure group since 2018, is expected to step down later this year.

The search, which has been taking place for several months, is expected to conclude in the coming weeks, according to one City source.

Ms Hodgson has some experience of the leisure industry, having served on the board of Ladbrokes Coral Group until 2017, while Mr Martin was a senior executive at the contract caterer Compass Group and finance chief at the travel agent First Choice Holidays.

Under Mr Crozier’s stewardship, Whitbread has been radically reshaped, selling its Costa Coffee subsidiary to The Coca-Cola Company in 2019 for nearly £4bn.

The company has also seen off an activist campaign spearheaded by Elliott Advisers, while Mr Crozier orchestrated the appointment of Dominic Paul, its chief executive, following Alison Brittain’s retirement.

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It said last year that it sees potential to grow the network from 86,000 UK bedrooms to 125,000 over the next decade or so.

Mr Crozier is one of Britain’s most seasoned boardroom figures, and now chairs BT Group and Kantar, the market research and data business backed by Bain Capital and WPP Group.

He previously ran the Football Association, ITV and – in between – Royal Mail Group.

On Friday, shares in Whitbread closed at £25.41, giving the company a market capitalisation of about £4.5bn.

Whitbread declined to comment this weekend.

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Politics

Bitcoin treasury firms driving $200T hyperbitcoinization — Adam Back

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Bitcoin treasury firms driving 0T hyperbitcoinization — Adam Back

Bitcoin treasury firms driving 0T hyperbitcoinization — Adam Back

Investment firms with Bitcoin-focused treasuries are front-running global Bitcoin adoption, which may see the world’s first cryptocurrency soar to a $200 trillion market capitalization in the coming decade.

Institutions and governments worldwide are starting to recognize the unique monetary properties of Bitcoin (BTC), according to Adam Back, co-founder and CEO of Blockstream and the inventor of Hashcash.

“$MSTR and other treasury companies are an arbitrage of the dislocation between the bitcoin future and todays fiat world,” Back wrote in an April 26 X post.

“A sustainable and scalable $100-$200 trillion trade front-running hyperbitcoinization. scalable enough for most big listed companies to move to btc treasury,” he added.

Hyperbitcoinization refers to the theoretical future where Bitcoin soars to become the largest global currency, replacing fiat money due to its inflationary economics and growing distrust in the legacy financial system.

Bitcoin treasury firms driving $200T hyperbitcoinization — Adam Back
Source: Adam Back

Related: Crypto sentiment recovers, but weekend liquidity risks remain

Bitcoin’s price outpacing fiat money inflation remains the main driver of global hyperbitcoinization, Back said, adding:

“Some people think treasury strategy is a temporary glitch. i’m saying no it’s a logical and sustainable arbitrage. but not for ever, the driver is bitcoin price going up over 4 year periods faster than interest and inflation.”

Back’s comments come nearly two months after US President Donald Trump signed an executive order to establish a national Bitcoin reserve from BTC forfeited in government criminal cases.

Related: Serbia’s Prince Filip says Bitcoin is being stifled, expects huge rally

Global firms continue Bitcoin accumulation

Continued Bitcoin investments from the likes of Strategy, the largest corporate Bitcoin holder, may inspire more global firms to follow suit.

Strategy’s approach is proving to be lucrative, with the firm’s Bitcoin treasury generating over $5.1 billion worth of profit since the beginning of 2025, according to Strategy’s co-founder, Michael Saylor.

Bitcoin treasury firms driving $200T hyperbitcoinization — Adam Back
Source: Michael Saylor

Japanese investment firm Metaplanet, also known as “Asia’s MicroStrategy,”  adopted a similar strategy, since surpassing 5,000 BTC in total holdings on April 24, Cointelegraph reported.

As Asia’s largest corporate Bitcoin holder, Metaplanet plans to acquire 21,000 BTC by 2026.

US financial institutions may also have more confidence in adopting Bitcoin after the US Federal Reserve withdrew its 2022 guidance discouraging banks from engaging with cryptocurrency. “Banks are now free to begin supporting Bitcoin,” Saylor said in response to the guidance withdrawal.

“Banks will now be supervised through normal processes, signaling a more open regulatory environment for digital asset integration,” Nexo dispatch analyst Iliya Kalchev told Cointelegraph.

Magazine: Altcoin season to hit in Q2? Mantra’s plan to win trust: Hodler’s Digest, April 13 – 19

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