Stress during pregnancy can affect your baby

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Maternal stress and anxiety can alter the development of a baby's brain and lead to emotional and behavioural problems later in life, new research says.

Why is stress in the news?

Research carried out by Imperial College London has found that when a mother feels stressed during pregnancy it can increase the baby's heart rate.

Also, although normally the placenta protects the baby from stress and anxiety, if the mother is very stressed the placenta's protection is not as effective - meaning the stress levels can reach and possibly harm the baby.

How does this affect the baby?

The new research shows that these changes to the baby could prevent their brain from developing normally and could lead to problems such as anxiety, depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and learning difficulties.

In the past studies have shown that stress during pregnancy can lead to abnormalities such as cleft lip and palate and spina bifida.

What kind of stress causes the problems?

The new research into emotional and behavioural problems found that stress in the mother's relationship with her partner can be particularly damaging.

The past research only looked at women who been exposed to 'severe life events' such as death or illness to a close member of the family.

What do the experts say?

Professor Vivette Glover, lead researcher on this study, says: 'We all know that if a mother smokes or drinks a lot of alcohol while pregnant it can affect her foetus. Our work has shown that other more subtle factors, such as her emotional state, can also have long-term effects on her child.'

What are good ways to relieve stress?

Try our 10 tips for busting stress to help you avoid anxiety in the first place. You can also de-stress your body with exercise. If problems in your relationship are making you stressed, try this advice to mend a broken relationship

Sources: Imperial College London, BBC