Stress In Pregnancy: How Does It Affect The Baby?

During a pregnancy, what we eat, how much we sleep, what physical exercise we do, are all aspects that have great relevance… But what role do emotions play? There is a close relationship between the mother’s emotional state during pregnancy and uterine life. Thus, stress during pregnancy can hinder the baby’s evolutionary development.

When we are stressed, the levels of 6 types of hormones can be altered: cortisol, glucagon, prolactin, testosterone, estrogen and progesterone. These fluctuations affect the pregnant woman, but also the fetus. Therefore, when mothers experience severe psychological stress during pregnancy, the risk of pregnancy increases.

Difficulties for the newborn due to stress in pregnancy

The main manifestations of stress can be reflected in different planes: physiological, physical and even social. There are changes in sleep, appetite (overeating or lack of appetite) and frequent headaches, muscle tension, irritability… In addition, the immune system is weaker, which increases the chances of infection.

Prematurity and low birth weight

All of this, in turn, can precipitate delivery, which increases the chances of having a premature baby (born before 37 weeks of gestation) or with a low birth weight (less than 2.5 kilograms). The latter, along with premature babies, are at risk for many problems in childhood. For example, frequent illnesses, growth problems, distraction, hyperactivity and deficits in motor coordination.

Respiratory diseases and physical defects

Pregnancy stress can cause baby asthma and other skin conditions, according to several research studies. Among them, atopic eczema during the first 8 months of a newborn’s life.

On the other hand, among the physical changes that can affect the baby is pyloric stenosis. This is a narrowing of the pylorus, located in the lower part of the stomach, which connects it to the small intestine. This disease requires immediate surgery.

Circulatory Activity

We mentioned earlier the types of hormones that most influence our body in an especially stressful situation. After entering the bloodstream, they reach the placenta, which is the baby’s vital connection to the mother for months. This set of hormones, in turn, excessively increases the child’s heart rate.

Therefore, the less anxious and stressful events the woman faces for a prolonged period during this period, the better : in this way, we will “bomb” the child less with hormonal currents.

learning and intellect

One of the hormones, cortisol, which works in adults to restore homeostasis, can cause serious difficulties in the baby’s future development. It has been shown that the higher the amniotic fluid level, the lower the child’s intellectual quotient may be in the future.

Although it is not a disease, having a below average IQ can affect your child’s daily life. In addition to learning difficulties, the risk of suffering from attention deficit or hyperactivity increases. Associated with this, she may have more difficulty solving problems in a planned and strategic way or inhibiting spontaneous tendencies.

Cautiously but not alarmed

Sudden mood swings or prolonged anxiety are of no small importance. Our body warns us when we have days of accumulated high tension, not resting well, with excessive worries or overload of work, academic or domestic. Imagine now if we add to all these stressful events having a human being growing inside of us. It’s impossible that these mood swings don’t affect you!

However, it is important to emphasize that  unexpected events that occur at some point in an unforeseen manner are not dangerous. For example, if a pregnant woman is frightened by the bark of an unexpected dog, there is no danger to the fetus.

It is prolonged stress, generated in situations that are important to us, as they involve some kind of threat, loss or damage, which can cause changes for the baby. Furthermore, we must take into account that emotional reactions are not the same in all women. Therefore, stress does not affect them in the same way.

Taking care of rest, self-demanding, calmly facing situations, eating healthy and exercising under medical supervision. All these points are great allies to avoid stress during pregnancy.