Stress and Pregnancy

Public awareness of stress and pregnancy has taken a center stage in recent months due to increased awareness of health issues related to developmental disorders. Recent studies conducted at Harvard Medical School indicate that a mother's stress during pregnancy may affect the health of the baby.

Anxiety During Gestation

If an expectant mother is exposed to high levels of anxiety, her baby may be more likely to develop asthma or allergies later in life. Babies born to mothers experiencing high levels of stress had more IgE in their blood at birth than did babies born to less-stressed moms. IgE is a class of antibody entangled in allergic and asthmatic reactions.

Some studies have shown a greater risk of miscarriage late in the first trimester and more birth defects if there has been severe anxiety in early gestation. Some of these findings are unreliable, though, because the patients were asked about stressors after they already knew about their complications, which probably led to what is called recall bias--meaning that you're more like to remember an early stressor if you had an overall bad experience.

At the unequivocal level, stress during certain periods of gestation has been linked to autism. Dr. Beversdorf, a neurologist at OSU Medical Center, and his colleagues believe their research supports earlier animal studies that suggest that anxiety during specific periods in the term may lead to structural changes in the brain that have been linked to autism in children. Autism is a neurological disorder that usually presents itself early in a child's life. Autistic children have trouble communicating and interacting with other people. Autism is treatable, but with many disorders, it is important that treatment begin early. Therefore, an early diagnosis is crucial.

Help for Women Who Experience Anxiety

Many researchers are taking this to a higher level by discussing what can be done to help pregnant mothers who experience a crisis and how general health can be improved for these women.

Take a close look at your lifestyle. Make yourself do this on paper. Pay closer attention to the obligations you have committed yourself to, your work activities, home and family responsibilities. Then you can determine how realistic your plan is. It is critical that you include in your schedule time for yourself for important activities such as exercise, down time, and socializing. Once you have done this, be straightforward with yourself as you ask yourself: Is this routine achievable? Sustainable? Satisfying? If not, accept the reality that you have to alter the schedule.

Consult a Health Care Professional

If you or a loved one is experiencing concern due to stress and pregnancy, it is highly recommended that a health care professional be consulted. A health care plan can be organized in order to manage difficulties more effectively and adjustments can be made to reduce the outside variables which may be harmful to your developing fetus. Learning how to relax is an important aspect of enjoying a healthy pregnancy.