Does acute maternal stress in pregnancy affect infant health outcomes? Examination of a large cohort of infants born after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001

Table 1 Adjusted odds^a of birth defects among US military family infants born after in utero exposure to stress

Characteristic	All infants n = 61088		Infants with birth defects^b n = 3005		OR [95% CI]
	n	(%)	n	(%)
In utero exposure to September 11, 2001^c
No	41272	(67.6)	2026	(67.4)	1.00
Yes	19816	(32.4)	979	(32.6)	1.01 [0.93, 1.09]
Maternal age
<35 years	56205	(92.0)	2721	(90.5)	1.00
≥ 35 years	4883	(8.0)	284	(9.5)	1.21 [1.06, 1.38]
Maternal military status
Civilian/married to active duty	49660	(81.3)	2484	(82.7)	1.00
Active duty	11428	(18.7)	521	(17.3)	0.95 [0.86, 1.05]
Military parent's education level
Bachelor's or above	11326	(18.5)	561	(18.7)	1.00
Some college	2478	(4.1)	152	(5.1)	1.24 [0.97, 1.59]
High school or less	47284	(77.4)	2292	(76.3)	0.98 [0.81, 1.20]
Military parent's race/ethnicity
White/non-Hispanic	40386	(66.1)	2096	(69.8)	1.00
Black/non-Hispanic	11017	(18.0)	497	(16.5)	0.87 [0.79, 0.97]
Hispanic	5993	(9.8)	271	(9.0)	0.87 [0.76, 0.99]
Asian/Pacific Islander	2294	(3.8)	83	(2.8)	0.69 [0.55, 0.86]
Other	1398	(2.3)	58	(1.9)	0.80 [0.61, 1.04]
Military parent's service branch
Army	23010	(37.7)	1100	(36.6)	1.00
Navy/Coast Guard	15012	(24.6)	735	(24.5)	1.03 [0.94, 1.14]
Air Force	15859	(26.0)	786	(26.2)	1.00 [0.91, 1.10]
Marine Corps	7207	(11.8)	384	(12.8)	1.11 [0.98, 1.25]
Military parent's pay grade
Officer	10363	(17.0)	515	(17.1)	1.00
Enlisted	50725	(83.0)	2490	(82.9)	1.05 [0.85, 1.29]
Military parent's occupation
All others	42699	(69.9)	2118	(70.5)	1.00
Health care specialists	5294	(8.7)	236	(7.9)	0.92 [0.80, 1.06]
Combat specialists	13095	(21.4)	651	(21.7)	0.99 [0.90, 1.09]

^aBased on multivariable logistic regression.
^bEvaluated using criteria from the National Birth Defects Prevention Network.
^cExposed infants were in utero from 0 to 13 weeks EGA on September 11, 2001.
Unexposed infants were in utero from 0 to 13 weeks EGA on September 11, 2000, or September 11, 2002.
OR, odds ratio; CI, confidence interval.

ISSN: 1471-2458