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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Women who are stressed out during pregnancy may have lasting consequences for their children, media reported Monday quoting researchers as saying at a meeting of the American Thoracic Society in Toronto. Women stressed about money, relationships and other problems may give birth to babies who are predisposed to allergies and asthma, according to the findings of the researcher. 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. Babies whose mothers were the most stressed out — but who had low exposure to dust mites in the home — still had high levels of IgE in their cord blood. read more

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