But some doctors consider "maternal anxiety" sufficient reason to offer the diagnosis to younger women.

By exposing the uses and abuses of maternal anxiety, Smith hopes to help inspire a social movement to rock the boat.

This approach relieves overall maternal anxiety, because the overwhelming majority of tested pregnancies give a low-risk result.

Surely more maternal anxiety has been whipped up on park benches than in preschool interviews.

The effects of weeks of maternal anxiety on fetal development are unknown.

The researchers also found no association between colic and maternal anxiety or caffeine.

Heightened maternal anxiety can also affect the stress response of the baby because stress hormones cross the placenta.

I don't believe a word of that; I put it down to excessive maternal anxiety.

But suddenly the maternal anxiety broke out afresh.

A few studies have hinted that maternal anxiety may slow a baby's cognitive development or even lead to behavioral problems.