OPTIMAL HEALTH UNIVERSITY
Presented by Dr. Wayne Terai
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Stress and Pregnancy
Pregnancy can be a stressful time in a woman's life. There are many physical changes, followed by a major life-changing event: the birth of a child. Dr. Terai acknowledges that some stress during pregnancy is natural. However, prolonged, elevated levels of stress can have a lifelong effect on a fetus. Dr. Terai wants to share with you how maternal stress affects a baby, as well as stress-busting techniques sure to calm any mom-to-be. The best time to prepare for a lowstress pregnancy is before you are pregnant. However, if you are already pregnant, Dr. Terai urges you not to let the following research worry you. Even making small changes in stress levels late in pregnancy can make a tremendous difference! Asthma and Allergies Hot-off-the-presses research indicates that babies born to stressed-out moms have an elevated risk of developing asthma and allergies. The scientists, who studied 387 mothers and their infants, found bolstered levels of a class of antibodies, which are responsible for allergic reactions, among babies of stressed-out moms. The researchers theorize that the mother's stress magnifies the effect of dust exposure on the child's immune system. Thus, a child's immune response at birth may be altered even with lower levels of dust exposure in the home (Amer Thorac Soc 2008;Epub). Brain Development and Behavior Chronic maternal stress compromises a mom's normal hormone regulation and increases production of a hormone called cortisol. Research is starting to uncover how excess cortisol may influence a fetus' brain development. These changes could potentially alter a baby's personality and trigger attention problems. According to one report, "Excess amounts of CRH [corticotrophinreleasing hormone] and cortisol reaching the human fetal brain during periods of chronic maternal stress could alter personality and predispose to attention deficits and depressive illness through changes in neurotransmitter activity." (Brain Behav Immun 2005;19:296-308.) It's possible that a mom's level of anxiety during pregnancy will affect a child's behavior and his or her responses to stress. A brand-new report links prenatal stress to behavior problems, such as attention and learning deficits, generalized anxiety and depression. "Excess circulating maternal stress hormones alter the programming of foetal neurons, and together with ge-

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