A study just released has demonstrated the strong link between a pregnant woman’s stress levels and the negative effects this has on her child. It is one of the first big studies to prove that while in the womb we are being influenced by maternal hormones and when it comes to high stress levels, that is not a good thing. In fact, it leads to a higher risk factor for malformations, asthma, and mental and behavioural disorders. The study was based on over 66,000 mums and bubs and assessed by a team of clinical psychologists.

Key findings were:

  • There was an increased risk of mental disorders during the first 2.5 years of life in children of mothers reporting high life stress during pregnancy compared with mothers reporting low life stress.
  • Maternal life stress during pregnancy was also associated with an increased risk in the diseases of the eye, ear, respiratory system, digestive system, skin, musculoskeletal system and genitourinary system in children.
  • Maternal life stress during pregnancy was again associated with an increased risk of congenital malformations in offspring.
  • Maternal emotional stress during pregnancy was associated with an increased risk for the first diagnosis of infectious and parasitic diseases.

The analysis of the data revealed that elevated stress levels across pregnancy altered the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines (proteins that serve as messengers between cells of the immune system) in the offspring; the dysregulation of cytokine production could cause certain mental disorders, infectious diseases and diseases of the various body systems. This shows the importance of having an anti-inflammatory style diet that is high in vegetables, nuts, seeds, fish and healthy fats. It also supports a place for antioxidants in pregnancy to counter balance cellular stress.

During my pregnancy I ate organic, anti inflammatory foods and supplemented with CoQ10 and Vitamin C. Knowledge is a powerful thing and if there is anything a woman can do to improve the health of her child, then let’s do it! And at the same time, engage in stress reducing activities and ditch the things around you that make your blood pressure rise.

Reference: Tegethoff M, Greene N, Olsen J, Schaffner E, Meinlschmidt G 2011. Stress during Pregnancy and Offspring Pediatric Disease: A National Cohort Study. Environ Health Perspect 119:1647-1652.