[Psychological factors during pregnancy correlated with infant low birth weigh].

INTRODUCTION: Contemporary researches state that the child's mental development depends on the quality of its relations with mother starting from pregnancy. They point to those elements of maternal functioning which decide about the child functioning in various dimensions and play a role in the mother-child interaction. One of them is emotional state of the mother during pregnancy.

THE AIM OF THE STUDY: To demonstrate psychological factors which are correlated with infant low birth weight.

RESULTS: Contemporary researches state that the infant low birth weight depends on the mother's mood during pregnancy. Women, frequently suffering from negative emotions, who experience high level of anxiety and depression, influence the infant's biological development (e.g. infant low birth weight) and shape features of its temperament (level of arousal, low level of activity, discontentedness, erethism). As a result, the born infant is not only smaller and less active but it is also difficult to take care of it. It often cries, the mother cannot calm it down, which is the reason for disregulation of a mother-infant relationship

CONCLUSIONS: Maternal negative emotions experienced during pregnancy are related to the risk of pathological changes in the foetus. Depressive disorder and high level of anxiety are an indication for psychotherapy of the pregnant women. Psychological intervention can prevent from disturbances of infant's development and the mother-infant relation.