Prenatal stress
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Prenatal stress (or prenatal maternal stress) is exposure of an expectant mother to psychosocial or physical stress, which can be caused by daily life events or by environmental hardships.[1][2] This psychosocial or physical stress that the expectant mother is experiencing has an effect on the fetus. According to the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD), a wide range of environmental factors a woman may experience during the perinatal period can contribute to biological impacts and changes in the fetus that then causes health risks later in the child's life.[3]
Health risks include impaired cognitive development, low birth weight, and risk of mental disorders in the offspring.[2]