Posted on: July 1, 2008
Stress and the Asthmatic Baby
Take a deep breath and let it out before reading this ¬– your baby will thank you.
By Melanie Wanzek
CTW Features
According to researchers from Harvard Medical School, women who are stressed during pregnancy may cause their children to be more sensitive to allergen exposure when born. This stress may even influence a baby’s developing immune system and possibly develop a future risk of asthma.
“This research adds to a growing body of evidence that links maternal stress, such as that precipitated by financial problems or relationship issues, to changes in children’s developing immune systems, even during pregnancy,” says Dr. Rosalind J. Wright, assistant professor of medicine at Brigham & Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School.
The researchers analyzed levels of maternal stress and a mother’s exposure to dust mite allergen in the home while pregnant, examining how a child’s immune response at birth was altered. The result was clear regardless of race, class, education or smoking history: Stress magnified the effect of dust exposure on a child’s immune system.
“This further supports the notion that stress can be thought of as a social pollutant that, when ‘breathed’ into the body, may influence the body’s immune response similar to the effects of physical pollutants, like allergens, thus adding to their effects,” Wright says.
