Breathe In, Breathe Out: How And Why Stress Can Affect Your Developing Baby’s Health

Lots of things can affect your child's health–sugary snacks or drinks, dangerous outdoor activities, the local bug going around, and even the weather for those with seasonal allergies–but did you know that the amount of stress you carried while pregnant can adversely affect their general health and well-being as well? If you're curious exactly what problems can come as a result of you being overly stressed during those nine months of pregnancy, then here's what you need to know.

She'll dread spring and summer

While your darling little one might not actually blow the house down, per say, their seasonal allergies can cause quite the fuss when the flowers begin to bloom in March until plants die off again around October. Nasal sprays and decongestants are a pain to carry around everywhere, so attempting to reduce stress during pregnancy can be good for both your child and your wallet.

He'll never be a heavyweight

If you're dreaming of a champion boxer or a wrestler to rival the ancient Greeks popping out of your belly, you will probably want to avoid constant, chronic stress while pregnant – low birth weight for a baby has been linked to large amounts of stress in the mother during gestation. Low birth weight can cause all sorts of complications, like SIDS and risk of infection.

She'll huff and she'll puff

Clinging onto large amounts of stress can cause your precious bundle of joy to have a higher risk of asthma as they grow. And as asthma isn't as harmless as many teen movies make it seem – there were nearly four thousand deaths last year from asthma in the United States – so you'll want to prevent this incurable condition from impacting your child's life.

How can stress cause these problems?

The main reason your stress can affect your little one is that your hormones are able to cross the placenta to the child within the womb. This is good when small amounts of stress hormone are cycled through your body – as small amounts fight inflammation – but when large amounts flood your system, it can affect multiple systems within your baby.

Remember, none of these situations are straight cause-and-effect relationships – it's not guaranteed that, if you stress during pregnancy, your child will be an underweight, asthmatic plant-hater. But as reducing stress can only have positive effects for both you and your child, it might be a good idea to sit down, breathe, and just relax once in a while.

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