Stress In the Womb May Increase Risk of Cerebral Palsy

According to a new study conducted by Pierre Gressens, MD, PhD, of Inserm in France, mild stress during pregnancy may increase the chances of a child being born with cerebral palsy.

Results of the Study

In the study, Gressens tested mice to determine whether being exposed to minimal, yet consistent, stress throughout gestation, would make offspring more susceptible to brain lesions and cerebral palsy.

“These findings are consistent with growing evidence that constant stress can have a major impact on the quality of life,” explains Victoria Luine, professor of psychology at New York’s Hunter College.

During the study, researchers adjusted the cycle of light and dark light that the mice were exposed to subjecting them to a mild amount of stress.

In examining the offspring’s brain after birth, scientist found that the baby mice born from the more stressed mothers had lesions on their brains that were double the size of those born from mothers not under any stress.

“Limiting stress during human pregnancy might prove to be a cost-efficient way to reduce the human, emotional, social and economic burden of cerebral palsy,” says Gressens.

(Source: Science Daily)

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