German researchers have found that stress experienced by mothers during pregnancy can be passed on to the fetus, causing long-term psychological trauma and making offspring susceptible to mental illness and behavioral problems.
genetic changes
Researchers from the University of Konstanz in Germany recruited 25 mothers with children aged 9 to 19 years old. These study subjects had unusual family situations during pregnancy and experienced different levels of stress than most pregnant women.
The researchers asked women whether they experienced excessive stress during pregnancy due to violence from their boyfriends or husbands, and then rated the subjects\’ mood levels.
Meanwhile, the researchers examined the behavior of a gene called the glucocorticoid receptor in children. This gene helps regulate hormonal responses to stress.
The results showed that when the mother suffered domestic violence during pregnancy, the child\’s glucocorticoid receptor was methylated and its activity was reduced; the mother\’s exposure to domestic violence after delivery had no effect on the activity of this gene in the child.
Or make the fetus respond faster
Methylation of the glucocorticoid receptor makes people more sensitive to stress, meaning that when they are faced with stress, their hormones and mental state react more quickly, in short, they are more likely to be impulsive and emotional.
Researchers believe that this change is due to mothers being exposed to long-term threats of violence, high psychological stress, and poor mental state during pregnancy.
One of the researchers, Helen Gunter, told the BBC: \”Previous research has shown that children of abusive and violent parents are more likely to suffer from depression as adults; this study only looked at the additional stress of domestic violence during pregnancy, We did not study daily work stress or home life stress.
Thomas Elbert, one of the lead researchers, said: \”Fetuses receive signals from their mothers that they are about to be born into a dangerous world and become fast responders. They have a lower stress threshold and are more sensitive to stress.\”
Pregnancy stress affects offspring
The researchers believe the findings are not conclusive and that other factors, including the social environment in which the children grew up, may have influenced the results. Therefore, the researchers plan to increase the number of subjects and conduct more detailed investigations to confirm these findings.
Karmine Pariant, an expert in the psychology of stress at the Institute of Psychiatry at King\’s College London, said the report confirmed that the formation of the foundations of the human psyche begins at less than nine months of age.
Studying psychological stress and depression in pregnant women has important clinical and social significance. We previously knew that psychological stress and depression during pregnancy can affect the offspring\’s behavior in childhood and adolescence, affecting their ability to regulate their own stress responses.