Mothers ’ stress may lead to preterm births, faster aging in children

This study is among the first to point out that, yes, it does matter.“It may even be more influential than prenatal health because some of what is put in motion before conception may be hard to stop during pregnancy,” she added. “For example, a mother with dysregulated immune function due to stress may be at risk when she becomes pregnant. The abundance of stre ss for low-income parents is potent and potentially high risk for them and their children.”These findings, Dunkel Schetter said, support the case for devoting more resources to programs for preconception health and well-being.Both studies were funded by the National Institutes of Health ’s Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, the National Institute of Mental Health and the National Institute for Nursing Research.  The scientistssay their research just scratches the surface of the impact of mothers ’ preconception health and the fetal environment on biological factors that affect children’s health.“An important takeaway from this work is that prenatal and preconception maternal health and well-being are critically important for the health of the infant,” Carroll said. “If we as a society can make changes to help give pregnant women the resources they need and provide them with a safe an d supportive environment before and during pregnancy, we may have a significant impact on the health of their children.”
Source: UCLA Newsroom: Health Sciences - Category: Universities & Medical Training Source Type: news