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One study revealed that newborn brains can be shaped by the stress levels the mother experiences during pregnancy.
Stress levels in mothers – measured by a hormone linked to anxiety and other health problems – are linked to changes in the newborn’s brain areas associated with emotional development, the study suggests.
Doctors say the findings highlight the urgent need for women to be better supported with their mental and physical health before and during pregnancy and could help them pinpoint moms and babies who need help.
Experts add that pregnant women who are feeling stressed or unwell should seek help from their midwife or counselor, and that with support, most health problems can be well managed in pregnancy.
Maternal stress is known to affect the development of the baby’s behavior and the ability to regulate his emotions as he grows up. This is usually measured by questionnaires, which are not always reliable.
The new study is the first time that scientists have used an objective measure – levels of the hormone cortisol – in the mother to study links with the baby’s brain development.
Cortisol is involved in the body’s response to stress – with higher levels indicating greater stress – and it also plays a role in fetal growth.
A research team led by the University of Edinburgh has shown that cortisol levels are linked to the development of the baby’s amygdala, an area of the brain known to be involved in emotional and social development during childhood.
For the study, the scientists took hair samples from 78 pregnant women to determine cortisol levels in women over the previous three months.
The women’s babies underwent a series of brain scans using magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI, a non-invasive scan that took place while the baby was asleep.
The researchers found that higher cortisol levels in the mother’s hair were linked to structural changes in the children’s amygdala and differences in brain connections.
Doctors say this may explain why babies whose mothers experienced high levels of stress during pregnancy may be more likely to have emotional problems later in life.
They caution, however, that the study did not evaluate emotions in the children.
The study was funded by the global children’s charity, Theirworld, and is published in the journal eLife.
Our findings are a call to action to detect and support pregnant women who need additional help during pregnancy as this could be an effective way to promote healthy brain development in their babies. “
Professor James Boardman, lead researcher, director of the Jennifer Brown Research Laboratory at the MRC Center for Reproductive Health, University of Edinburgh
Professor Rebecca Reynolds, personal chair of metabolic medicine at the University of Edinburgh, who co-led the study, said: “Thankfully, psychological treatments are very successful in helping mothers and babies and we hope our results will can guide future therapies to help identify those who may most need support. “
This research highlights how important it is to support the mental health of women during pregnancy to ensure their needs are met and their babies have the best start in life. Helping mothers cope with stress is an important step in ensuring both mother and baby thrive. “
Sarah Brown, president of Theirworld
Source:
Journal reference:
Stoye, DQ, et al. (2020) Maternal cortisol is sexually dimorphic associated with the microstructure and connectivity of the neonatal amygdala. eLife. doi.org/10.7554/eLife.60729.
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