Can Pregnancy Stress Affect Your Baby's Mental Health?

Stress during pregnancy may have a negative impact on infants' mental health, according to a new study published in the journal Infancy. The study asked 72 pregnant women to fill out surveys about their stress levels up to four times per day over the course of 14 weeks, then administered an infant behavior questionnaire when their infants turned 3 months old (via CNN). This allowed researchers to examine the fluctuation of stress levels during pregnancy in real time. 

The study's findings revealed that the infants of mothers who experienced significant fluctuations in stress levels during pregnancy were more likely to exhibit signs of fear, distress, and sadness by the time they reached the age of 3 months old compared to those whose mothers experienced less stress. In fact, women who experienced higher fluctuations of stress while they were pregnant were more likely to report that their babies cried and fussed more, showed signs of distress when tired, and clung to a parent when in the presence of a stranger. In future studies, the research team plans to examine how stress fluctuations can change a mother's biology during pregnancy and the effects that this can have on their infants.