Effects of an App-Based Mindfulness Intervention during Pregnancy on the Infant’s Prenatal Androgen Exposure: A Randomized Controlled Pilot Trial

Prenatal androgen exposure modulates the development of brain, with lasting effects on its function and behavior over infant’s life span. Environmental factors during pregnancy, in particular maternal stress, have been shown to influence load unborn child. We here addressed research gap whether a mindfulness intervention or pregnancy education administered pregnant women more affects child (quantified by proxies second-to-fourth digit length ratio (2D:4D) anogenital distance assessed one year after delivery at delivery, respectively). Moreover, we tested intervention’s perceived anxiety, depressiveness, mindfulness. Pregnant (gestation weeks 8–14) were randomized 15-week app-based mindfulness-oriented (N = 72) (control condition; N 74). The group did not significantly differ from infants’ 2D:4D (partial η2 ≤ 0.01) However, descriptive results indicate that across stress anxiety decreased increased both groups. Overall, this study show (relative education) reduced prenatal children improved outcomes significantly.