(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- During pregnancy, a new mom is conscious of her
eating, drinking, exercise and exposure to cigarette smoke for the health of her
unborn child. But a less obvious behavior can also have lifelong effects on
children. Mom’s stress during pregnancy raises a child’s risk for asthma.
A pregnant woman’s stress can affect a developing immune system. And, although
genetics play a role in a baby’s predisposition for asthma, there are other
factors. According to researchers from Harvard Medical School, exposure to
allergens during pregnancy is one. The other is the mother’s prenatal stress
level.
The team tested for a combination of allergen exposure and stress by analyzing
blood from the umbilical cord. Even when the level of dust mite contact was low
during pregnancy, if the mother had been overly stressed, the baby’s immune
response was magnified from birth, raising the risk for asthma. The outcome was
the same regardless of the mother’s race, class, education or smoking history.
“This research adds to a growing body of evidence that links maternal stress
such as that precipitated by financial problems or relationship issues to
changes in children’s developing immune systems during pregnancy,” Rosalind
Write, M.D., M.P.H., an assistant professor of medicine at Brigham and Women’s
Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston, was quoted as saying. “Stress can
be considered a ‘social pollutant’ that, when breathed into the body, may
influence the body’s immune response similar to the effects of physical
pollutants.”
The team noted the women tested were part of an urban population that is often
at higher risk for combined exposure to stress and indoor allergens, but they
believe the results support the view that “maternal psychological well being” as
well as other environmental factors should be part of prenatal health programs.
SOURCE: American Thoracic Society’s 2008 International Conference in Toronto,
May 18, 2008
