Early life stress can programme our health.
It is essential that the environment for a developing foetus is optimal for normal growth and maturation. Small perturbations in this environment may put that child at risk for developing cardiovascular, metabolic and cognitive deficits later in life. Evidence is accumulating that chronic stress while pregnant may result in lower birthweight babies and a heightened risk of mood disorders and cognitive deficits. Elevated glucocorticoid hormones, induced in the mother in response to the stress, appear to be mediators of events 'programming' the developing central nervous system of the foetus and rendering it susceptible to dysfunction in later life.
Department of Clinical Neuroscience, University of Edinburgh, Western General Hospital, UK.
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Holmes
D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005315:Fetal Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006262:Health; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000503:physiopathology*