Stress during pregnancy can have bad effects to the health of a baby, a recent study revealed. It disclosed that stressed mothers can have babies who are low in weight.
The Albany Daily Star reported that a research conducted by University of California (UCLA) scientists showed that moms with high cortisol levels tend to have babies who have weight below the normal level. It discussed that cortisol levels spike up during stressful events.
When cortisol levels rise, the same report said that it does not only cause stress but also decrease the blood flowing to the fetus. This causes lack of nutrients and oxygen to get to the child making them underweight and unhealthy.
"We found that the same cortisol pattern that has been linked with chronic stress is associated with delivering a baby that weighs less at birth," explained lead researcher Christine Guardino in the Albany Daily Star report. She noted that they had to examine the health condition of expecting moms and their babies to arrive at such data.
Guardino said that maintaining good health and staying away from stressful activities should be a priority for pregnant women. "Women should treat depression, evaluate and treat stress, be sure they are in a healthy relationship, be physically active, stop smoking and gather family support," she added.
According to the Economic Times, the increased cortisol levels can also affect the baby's capacity to deal with stress in the future. It was also highlighted that these newborns can also have higher risk of infant mortality and metabolic disorders than those with mothers who are not stressed.
The researchers suggested that pregnant women should learn how to deall with stress before and during conception. They also noted that planning for a healthy pregnancy should also be done to make sure that health problems will not haunt their babies when they are born.
