Wright and colleagues found mothers who were the most distressed during pregnancy were most likely to give birth to infants with higher levels of immunoglobulin E or IgE — an immune system compound — even though their mothers had only mild exposure to allergens during pregnancy. Studies in animals have found that a mother's stress amplifies the effects of allergen exposure on the immune system of the developing offspring. They found children who had undergone maltreatment — such as maternal rejection, harsh discipline and sexual abuse — had twice the levels of inflammation in their blood even 20 years later. Danese said maltreatment in childhood may impair the ability of glucocorticoids — hormones that inhibit inflammation — to respond to stress later in life, which could lead to depression and other psychiatric ills. read more

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