Pregnancy Stress Ups Kids' Asthma Risk
Study Shows Stress on Moms May Affect Child's Immune Response
The researchers found increased levels of IgE expression in cord blood from infants whose mothers experienced higher levels of stress, even when exposed to relatively low levels of dust mite allergen during pregnancy.
The most frequently reported stress events were related to finances, health, relationships, and concerns about community safety.
Babies born to women who experienced three major stress events during pregnancy had a 12% increase in risk of giving birth to a child with an altered immune response, as measured by IgE, researcher Jeanette Peters, PhD, tells WebMD.
The highest IgE levels were seen in babies born to mothers who experienced the most stress and had the most dust mite exposure during pregnancy.
The children will continue to be followed until they reach age 5 or 6 to better understand the role of pregnancy stress and other environmental influences in the development of asthma.
But there is already a public health message from the research, Peters says.
"We have to have a multi-pronged approach to intervention," she says. "If we just reduce allergen levels and the mothers are still experiencing high stress there could still be an immune effect on the child at birth."
Pregnancy Stress Ups Kids' Asthma Risk
Study Shows Stress on Moms May Affect Child's Immune Response
More Stress = Higher IgE
The researchers found increased levels of IgE expression in cord blood from infants whose mothers experienced higher levels of stress, even when exposed to relatively low levels of dust mite allergen during pregnancy.
The most frequently reported stress events were related to finances, health, relationships, and concerns about community safety.
Babies born to women who experienced three major stress events during pregnancy had a 12% increase in risk of giving birth to a child with an altered immune response, as measured by IgE, researcher Jeanette Peters, PhD, tells WebMD.
The highest IgE levels were seen in babies born to mothers who experienced the most stress and had the most dust mite exposure during pregnancy.
The children will continue to be followed until they reach age 5 or 6 to better understand the role of pregnancy stress and other environmental influences in the development of asthma.
But there is already a public health message from the research, Peters says.
"We have to have a multi-pronged approach to intervention," she says. "If we just reduce allergen levels and the mothers are still experiencing high stress there could still be an immune effect on the child at birth."