Pregnancy: Frightened Women Have Smaller Babies
October 29th 2009 -
The emotional world of a pregnant woman apparently influenced the development of the baby. Women with severe and chronic anxiety disorders during pregnancy have smaller and lighter children.
The researchers from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, analyzed data from 763 women. About half the study participants were African American, the other Caucasian descent. The women were on average 23 years old and belonged to the low come in layers. All participants had undergone standardized psychological tests. In addition, she and her child in the fourth and seventh month of pregnancy and examined shortly after birth.
It was found that anxious pregnant women bringing children into the world smaller and lighter than women without anxiety symptoms. Particularly significant was the context in the last trimester of pregnancy. In the first six months of pregnancy is very strong anxiety interfered with the child’s development. The influence of anxiety was independent of other risk factors such as alcohol or drug use, education and ethnicity.
One possible explanation for the influence of anxiety on the child’s development will see the scientists in elevated stress hormone levels in anxious mothers. The stress hormones in the blood of pregnant women suppress the growth of education in the child, which consequently remains in growth. The researchers therefore recommend to treat anxiety disorders in pregnancy. For health care begins even before birth, the authors write.
Tags: Alcohol, anxious mothers, chronic anxiety disorders
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