Reducing stress during pregnancy could help unborn baby

by Poonam Singhal



Stress in women, during pregnancy, affect the heart rate of their unborn baby, and that may lead to some emotional and behavioural problems in children later. Stress in the womb can last a lifetime, say researchers behind new exhibit.

Researchers from Imperial College London, UK, want to raise families' awareness of the importance of reducing levels of stress and anxiety in expectant mothers. A new exhibit opens at the Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition by them.

Visitors to the Exhibition will have the chance to play a game that shows how a mother's stress can increase the heart rate of her unborn baby. They will also be able to touch a real placenta, encased safely in plastic. The placenta is crucial for fetal development and it usually protects the unborn baby from the stress hormone cortisol. However, when the mother is stressed, the placenta becomes less protective and the mother's cortisol may have an effect on the fetus.

The Imperial researchers' work has shown that maternal stress and anxiety can alter the development of the baby's brain. This in turn can result in a greater risk of emotional problems such as anxiety or depression, behavioural problems such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, and being considerably slower at learning. Some studies have even suggested that it may increase the likelihood of later violent or criminal behaviour. Their findings have suggested that the effects of stress during pregnancy can last many years, including into adolescence.

Professor Vivette Glover, the lead researcher behind the exhibit from the Institute of Reproductive and Developmental Biology at Imperial College London, said: "We all know that if a mother smokes or drinks a lot of alcohol while pregnant it can affect her fetus. Our work has shown that other more subtle factors, such as her emotional state, can also have long-term effects on her child. We hope our exhibit will demonstrate in a fun way why we all need to look after expectant mothers' emotional wellbeing.

"Our research shows that stress due to the mother's relationship with her partner can be particularly damaging. We want fathers visiting our exhibit to see how they can help with the development of their child even before the birth, by helping their partner to stay happy," added Professor Glover.


(Poonam Singhal -- sub-editor compiled and published Reducing stress during pregnancy could help unborn baby at HealthNewsTrack on June 30, 2009 sourced from Imperial College London - http://www.imperial.ac.uk/)

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