Stress During Pregnancy- Can Be Harmful

Stress During Pregnancy- Can Be Harmful

Mood swings are very natural during pregnancy. But when a pregnant woman starts to take stress then it becomes a problem. It is perfectly normal to get angry at times during pregnancy but if the mother is stressed over a longer period of time then the concentration of stress hormones in amniotic fluid rises which can affect the development of fetus.

Usually, during pregnancy, women go through a lot of things and always worries about taking care of everything and finding a balance between things. Due to these worries, she ends up taking the stress. For expectant mother, being strongly stressed over a longer period of time can cause a risk of developing a mental or physical illness to the unborn child later in life. The accurate mechanism of how stress can affect the baby in the womb is still not known. However, according to some research, it has been discovered that physical stress to the mother can change the metabolism in the placenta and influence the growth of the unborn child.

Effects of stress hormone on the growth of fetus

During stress, the human body releases hormones such as the so-called corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH) to handle the higher stress. This results in an increase in stress hormone cortisol. This process also continues during pregnancy, and the placenta, which supplies the fetus with nutrients, can also emit stress hormone CRH. Due to this a small amount of this hormone enters the amniotic fluid and fetal metabolism. As per various studies it has been seen that hormone can boost the development of the unborn child. So, unfavorable growth conditions in the woman lead to an increase in the amount of the hormone and hence improving the chances of survival in premature birth cases. However, under certain circumstances, this increase in hormone level can also cause negative consequences like an excessive acceleration of growth may occur at the expense of the proper maturation of the organs.

Effects of Short-term stress hormone

Short-term stress hormones have no effect on the baby. Studies showed that Short-term mental stress to the mother does not affect the release of stress hormones in the placenta. The baby remained protected against the negative effects in case of acute, short-term stress to the mother.

Effects of Long-term stress hormone

If the mother is stressed for a longer period of time, then there is an increase in CRH level in the amniotic fluid. This increase in the concentration of stress hormone, in turn, accelerates the growth of the fetus. As a result, the effect of the hormone on the growth of the baby is confirmed. The corticotrophin-releasing hormone CRH plays a complex and dynamic role in the development of the human fetus.

Pregnant women who are exposed to longer-term stress situations are advised to seek support from a therapist to handle the stress in a better way. Having stress during pregnancy cannot be fully avoided but the secure bond between the mother and child after birth can help in neutralizing the negative effects of stress during pregnancy.