What Happens In Infants If Mothers Stress When Pregnant?

Medical Video: Maternal stress during pregnancy 'affects motor skills' of the Kids

Pregnancy is not easy. Sometimes when pregnant, the mother is very worried about everything. Coupled with hormonal changes in pregnant women that sometimes interfere with and cause problems. For example, the mother has difficulty eating because of nausea, so she becomes worried whether the mother's intake is enough for her fetus, the mother has difficulty sleeping, causing stress, or the mother is too worried about labor, and so on.

Stress during pregnancy is normal. But if pregnant women often experience stress to disrupt their activities, the impact of stress can be on the fetus. The fetus is able to feel what the mother is experiencing because the mother transfers what she feels to ajanin through substances or hormones produced by the mother's body.

The impact of stress during pregnancy affects the fetus

When stressed, the body produces cortisol and other stress hormones. If you can handle stress, your body's response to stress will decrease and your body will return to its original state. But stress becomes a danger if you continue to experience it. Stress that continues can change the body's stress management system, causing the body to overreact and trigger an inflammatory response (inflammation). Inflammation is associated with decreased pregnancy health and fetal development problems in the mother's womb.

The study, published in the journal Clinical Endocrinology, shows that the stress felt by pregnant women affects the fetus. Research conducted by Prof. Vivette Glover from Imperial College London and Dr. Pampa Sarkar from Wexham Park hospital, Berkshire took blood samples from 267 pregnant women and amniotic fluid around the fetus in the womb. The study found that at 17 weeks or more, higher levels of cortisol in maternal blood when the mother is stressed are positively associated with high cortisol levels in the amniotic fluid that surrounds the fetus. The study also found that strong relationships were stronger by increasing gestational age.

Cortisol (the stress hormone produced by the body when we are anxious) is good for the short term because it helps the body handle stress. However, for long-term stress cortisol can cause fatigue, depression, and make mothers vulnerable to disease. Further research is needed to reveal how the maternal stress mechanism can affect the fetus, both during the fetus and childhood. However, based on this research it is known that high stress levels during pregnancy affect the fetus because stress hormones are transferred to the fetus through the placenta.

Stress in pregnant women has an impact on preterm birth and low birth weight

As reported by webmd, Ann Borders, an obstetrician at Evanston Hospital, NorthShore University HealthSystem, said that there are some data that show that chronic stress that cannot be handled by pregnant women is associated with low birth weight babies and premature births.

Research by Wadhwa, et al. (1993) showed that mothers who experienced high levels of psychological stress during pregnancy were associated with lower birth weight and mothers were more likely to give birth prematurely (before 37 weeks' gestation). Wadhwa also said that some biological changes occur when mothers are stressed, including an increase in stress hormones, and increase the likelihood of intrauterine infection. The fetus will respond to stressful stimuli from the mother and adjust to the changes that occur.

How to deal with stress during pregnancy?

It is normal for pregnant women to experience stress. However, pregnant women must be able to control stress, not feel guilty about stress which makes it even worse. Everyone has different ways to deal with stress, so it's important to recognize yourself. In dealing with stress, you can start by acknowledging what makes you stressed, then find out the best way to deal with that stress.

Sometimes talking to other pregnant women can help you reduce stress because you share problems and exchange ideas with other pregnant women so you don't worry too much about your problem. Another way is to write down your problem. Sometimes writing everything in your mind can make you have ideas for solving problems. You can also do yoga or other sports that make you feel calm and relaxed. The most important thing is to find a job that makes you happy.

In addition, support from family, friends, and people around you is needed to make you happy and ensure your health. Avoid the slightest quarrel with people around you so as not to add to your mind's burden. Try to always think positively because it can make your heart happy.

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