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Stress during pregnancy for a longer period of time can lead to concentration of stress hormones in amniotic fluid.
If an expectant mother is strongly stressed over a longer period of time, the risk of the unborn child developing a mental or physical illness later in life — such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or cardiovascular disease increases.
Physical stress to the mother can change the metabolism in the placenta and influence the growth of the unborn child.
The research team tested 34 healthy pregnant women, who took part in amniocentesis within the scope of prenatal diagnostics.
Such a test constitutes a stress situation for the expectant mother as her body secretes cortisol in the short term. To determine whether the placenta also releases stress hormones, the researchers compared the cortisol level in the mother’s saliva with the CRH level in the amniotic fluid — and determined that there was no connection.
The baby obviously remains protected against negative effects in case of acute, short-term stress to the mother,
The situation of the results regarding prolonged stress is completely different, as was determined using questionnaires for diagnosing chronic social overload: “If the mother is stressed for a longer period of time, the CRH level in the amniotic fluid increases
