Stress during pregnancy may lower baby's IQ

by Zosia Bielski © Copyright 2009
Severe stress during pregnancy can damage a baby's brain and put the child at greater risk of anxiety, depression and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder later on in adolescence, according to British research revealed last week.
The higher the levels of cortisol – a stress hormone – in the womb, the lower the toddler's “baby IQ” at 18 months, the researchers found.
“We found that if the mother was more stressed while she was pregnant the baby scored significantly lower on the mental developmental index,” said Vivette Glover, lead researcher and professor of prenatal psychobiology at Imperial College London.
The study involved 250 women at 17 weeks gestation. They filled out questionnaires about their anxiety levels and the researchers monitored their cortisol levels and the amount seeping into their amniotic fluid.
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