Stress in pregnancy leads to asthma in offspring--study

Study of 557 pregnant women
The study, a prospective cohort research funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, looked at 557 expecting women from different cities including Boston, Baltimore and New York.

The sample largely consisted of ethnic minorities, out of which 20 percent were those living under poverty line. Almost all the families had at least one of the parents having an asthmatic or allergic medical history.

The families were asked to answer detailed questions about various stressors in their daily lives, any domestic violence incidents, and their financial conditions.

The infants born to the families were analyzed for the production of cytokines, which indicates how the child’s immune system would respond to the external environment.

"The ctyokine patterns seen in the higher stress groups, which are an indication of how the child's immune system is functioning at birth, may be a marker of increased risk for developing asthma and allergy as they get older," explained Dr. Wright, the lead researcher.

Results of the study
The researchers found significant differences in the immune system markers of the infants born to mothers with higher stress and those born to mothers with low stress levels.

The cytokines patterns in the babies were directly related to the level of stress undergone by the mothers during pregnancy.

The babies whose mothers were more stressed were found to be at a higher risk of developing asthma than others.

"The current findings suggest that psychological stress is involved in programming of the infant immune response and that this influence begins during pregnancy," said Dr. Wright.

The present study would continue as the infants grow in order to determine whether the stress level of the mother does have an impact on the asthmatic condition of the child.

The findings have been published online ahead of print publication in the American Thoracic Society's American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. (ANI)

Avoiding stress during pregnancy
One of the best methods to relieve stress during pregnancy would be to practice meditation. Women could also undertake yoga classes or fitness classes.

During pregnancy the family environment plays a very important role in the psychological condition of the mother. Thus the whole family should take care of keeping stress at bay.

A power nap during the day and a light walk at evening could help too.

Meeting up friends or spending time on a hobby would help distract the woman from anxieties often faced during pregnancy.

Expecting mothers can also spend time reading pregnancy or child care books, which would help enrich knowledge besides acting as a good way to while away idle time.