Prenatal Stress During Pregnancy

Time spent during prenatal development creates a special bond between the mother and child. During this time, biological factors such as hormones pass through the placental barrier from the mother and into the fetus’ bloodstream. Additionally, umbilical cord transports materials such as nutrients to the fetus. Due to the direct connection, mothers are strongly advised not to consume teratogens such as alcohol, drugs, or other substance that may be detrimental to a fetus during pregnancy. Intangible factors such as stress on the mother, however, is often ignored. Yet, stress during pregnancy also negatively effects the fetus due to effects of cortisol. Stress is characterized by the release of the stress hormone cortisol. Mental stress from depression, anxiety, excess physical excursion,
For instance, a mother’s psychological stress causes a greater likelihood for the developing fetus to demonstrate symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and conduct disorder. Epigenetic modification, or more specifically DNA methylation is a mechanism used to control gene expression. Studies demonstrate that prenatal stressors influence the control of epigenetics by the cortisol hormone causing dysregulation of gene expression. Dysregulation of gene expression during brain development in the third trimester results in common psychopathology (Monk, Spicer, & Champagne, 2012). This is when the higher brain development occurs and sections of the brain involved in behavior and cognition such as the cerebellum grow. Irregularities in gene expression through effects on epigenetics cause problems in the development of these crucial structures. Consequently, problems with these structures lead to the behavior outburst and differences between non-stress exposed and stress exposed children. Similar to behavioral disorders, PNMS plays a role in altering cognitive development of the