Baby Stress?

Question

How does stress on a pregnant woman affect the baby? Is it fatal? ANd if so how do babies die from it?

Answer 1

I'm sure it depends on the amount and the type of stress she is undergoing. However, I once read in a book that it is highly likely that the baby's brain chemistry changes when the mother is under tremendous stress. I am left handed and while researching I have also found out that it is common for the offspring to become left handed if the mom is experiencing depression or constant stress during pregnancy. Other than that I am sure if the brain chemistry has changed it may effect many things (this only my guess though) such as sexual choice, learning abilities, ability to focus (many kids these days are diagnosed with ADD I believe it might be because of problems with brain chemistry during pregnancy which means some kind of hormone has not been secreted or malfunctioned when the fetus was developing). So far this is all I can think of. I think it could be fatal too if the mother is not eating well, due to bad mood (caused by stress, loss of appetite and etc). It can also be fatal if the mom again is neglecting herself (when under stress people usually are more vulnerable to airborne germs, viruses and etc.) she could for example get seriously ill, catch cold or any other upper respiratory disease which can extremely lower baby's chance of survival.

Answer 2

Its not fatal to a baby's health. But high levels of stress can cause hormone imbalances during the early stages of pregnancy and sometimes miscarriage. My partner had been diagnosed with cancer just before i found out i was pregnant + i was working over 36hours a week and i had just been evicted from my home of residence.

I state this because i am now 39 weeks pregnant with a healthy baby boy and the pregnancy has gone like a breeze. It was an extremely stressful time a few months ago, but every woman's body is different and deals with stress in its own way.

Answer 3

Your baby pretty much feels everything you do. So if you are under a lot of stress I'm sure it does effect them. But I think it would have to be huge amounts to actually make the baby die. My best friend was under a lot of stress and she just was really skinny throughout her pregnancy, but her baby was ten pounds! But when you are pregnant just do your best to relax. Hope that helps in some way.

Answer 4

stress isn't good for pregnant women as studies have shown it can actually affect the baby and even cause problems in later life. They can grow up to have nervous characters or suffer from stress related illnesses themselves. If your body is under a lot of stress, sometimes our bodies don't work as well as they should. Some people lose hair, it can cause heart attacks, sleep deprivation all sorts of things. That's not to say that everyone under stress will lose their baby or suffer health defects, everyone has some degree of stress in their lives through everyday things like commuting, family problems, work etc. I think only major traumas would affect the baby.

Answer 5

My Ob told me that it is more of an old wives tail because they haven't documented it as a fact. He says that people say that to pregnant women so they will try to relax more for their own health. Most people are stressed naturally during pregnancy with all the worries and their babies come out fine.

Answer 6

Thumbs up for you! Anyway, my mom had alot of stress during her last pregnancy. She has two kids. Two died from miscarriage. Only me and my brother survived to term. She had a misscariage on her first pregnancy at twenty six. Then also on her last, at the age of 38 or 39. It had alot to do with stress I think. Also she doesn't carry well. For most of her pregnancies, she had to be bed ridden, 2/3's of the way.

Answer 7

Not fatal, usually, but very high levels of stress in early pregnancy have been known to lead to miscarriage.

Answer 8

it can be fatal if the woman goes into premature labor from it. the actual development, no, it doesn't effect that. however, the baby feels everything the mother feels emotionally, since each emotion produces hormones.

Answer 9

A PREGNANT, WHEN,SHES HAPPY OR SAD,OR EVEN EXCITED NO MATTER ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING,SHES FEELS, AND DOES,STIMULATES A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF STRESS!!! IN SOME INSTANCES IF COULD BE FATAL!!!

Answer 10

affects their development, fatal ? usually not