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Pregnancy Stress Suffers the unborn baby
Scientific research has shown that it can be detrimental to the unborn child if the expectant mother is under stress during pregnancy. Apparently this has to do with the fact that it increases the concentration of stress hormones in the amniotic fluid, as researchers have now found out.
Negative consequences for the baby
Various scientific studies have shown that stress in pregnancy can have negative consequences for the baby. For example, Australian researchers reported years ago that this could cause coordination problems in their offspring, among other things. An interdisciplinary team of scientists has now found evidence of how the stress of the expectant mother reaches the unborn child.
If expectant mothers are constantly stressed, this can have negative consequences for the offspring. Researchers have now discovered that stress hormones can enter the amniotic fluid. (Image: highwaystarz / fotolia.com) Increased risk of ADHD
Expectant mothers often feel that they are constantly under power, that they always have to take care of everything and not to reconcile everything. This can have negative consequences for the offspring.
Because when women are severely stressed during pregnancy for a long time, it can increase the risk for the unborn child to later develop a mental or physical illness - such as an attention deficit / hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or even a cardiovascular disease.
Although the exact amount of stress that the baby achieves in the womb is not fully understood, researchers from the University of Zurich (UZH) in collaboration with the University Hospital Zurich and the Max Planck Institute Munich have found that mental stress in the mother changes the metabolism in the placenta and can also affect the growth of the unborn child.
The experts have published the new findings in the journal "The International Journal on the Biology of Stress".
Stress hormones enter the amniotic fluid
When exposed to stress, the human body releases hormones to cope with the higher levels of stress, such as the so-called corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH), which subsequently increases the stress hormone cortisol, according to a statement by the UZH.
This mechanism also persists during pregnancy, and the placenta, which provides the fetus with nutrients, can also release the stress hormone CRH. As a result, it enters the fetal circulation and the amniotic fluid in small quantities.
According to scientists, animal studies have shown that this hormone can boost the development of the unborn child: It is released more when growth conditions in the womb are unfavorable.
This should increase the chances of survival in view of an early birth. Under certain circumstances, this can also have negative consequences: "If the growth is accelerated too much, this can be done at the expense of a differentiated maturation of the organs," said study director and psychologist Ulrike Ehlert.
No negative effect with short-term exposure
But how does mental stress affect the mother's release of stress hormones in the placenta? The researchers examined 34 healthy pregnant women who underwent amniocentesis during prenatal diagnosis.
Such an examination represents a stress situation for the expectant mothers, her body spills cortisol at short notice. To determine whether the placenta releases stress hormones, the scientists compared the cortisol level in maternal saliva with the level of CRH in the amniotic fluid.
They found no connection: "Apparently, the baby is protected from the negative effects of stress in acute, short-term stress on the mother," said Ehlert.
Safe bond between mother and child after birth
However, when the stress persisted, the results were different: "If the maternal burden lasts longer, the level of CRH in the amniotic fluid is increased," said study assistant and psychologist Pearl La Marca-Ghaemmaghami.
And this higher concentration of stress hormone in turn accelerated the growth of the fetus. This confirms the effect of the hormone on growth, as it is known by animals.
"The corticotropin-releasing hormone CRH apparently also plays a complex and dynamic role in the development of the human fetus, which needs to be better understood," says La Marca-Ghaemmaghami.
The psychologists advise pregnant women, who are exposed to prolonged stress situations, to be supported by a psychological expert in order to better cope with stress..
Basically also recommended relaxation exercises to reduce stress. Suitable here are, among other things, yoga or autogenic training. Even progressive muscle relaxation relieves stress. Meditation can also be effective here.
But stress in pregnancy can not always be avoided. "A secure bond between mother and child after birth can cancel negative effects of stress during pregnancy," said La Marca-Ghaemmaghami. (Ad)