Babies’ brains may be harmed by stress during pregnancy, says London study

Women who suffer stress before and during pregnancy could harm their baby’s brain development, London researchers revealed today.

Scans of 251 premature babies found evidence of “impaired development” of an area within the brain when their mothers had experienced higher levels of stress.

Researchers said it was unclear whether this would cause problems later in life but called on GPs and other healthcare professionals to ask pregnant women about general stress and anxiety in addition to depression.

The King’s College, London team found changes in the uncinate fasciculus, a white matter tract already known to undergo changes in adults suffering anxiety disorders. It is believed to be the first research into the relationship between maternal stress and brain development in premature babies.

They found that greater levels of stress from “life events” were associated with more impaired development of the brain’s white matter microstructure — while lower stress levels were associated with less impairment.

Lead researcher Alexandra Lautarescu said: “We found that in the mums that were more stressed during pregnancy and the period before birth, white matter was altered in the babies.”

Mothers completed a questionnaire asking about stressful events, from moving house to separation. These were graded and cross-referenced to any changes noticed in their baby’s brain. The study, in the journal Biological Psychiatry, highlights the importance of providing support for expectant mothers.

Previous studies have shown that interventions such as cognitive behavioural therapy can help mitigate adverse outcomes in the baby.

There is some evidence to suggest that if women experience poor mental health during pregnancy this can lead to more difficult or premature births or lower birth weight of the baby. The baby may also cry more frequently.

“[Stress] is not diagnosed as often as it should be during pregnancy and we are trying to emphasise that maternal mental health during pregnancy can impact the baby’s brain development which may impact on their outcomes later in life,” Ms Lautarescu said. 

“No-one is asking these women about stress and hence they don’t receive any support.

“If we try to help these women either during the pregnancy or in the early post-natal period with some sort of intervention this will not only help the mother, but may also prevent impaired brain development in the baby and improve their outcomes overall.”