Stress during pregnancy may cause depression in female offsprings
High
maternal levels of the stress
hormone cortisol during pregnancy can increase feelings of anxiousness
and depression in female off springs at the tender age of 2, a new study
reveals.
The
findings emphasize the significance of prenatal conditions for susceptibility
of later mental health
problems in off springs. The effect of high maternal cortisol hormone on the
negative offspring behavior appeared to result from patterns of stronger
communication between brain regions important for sensory and emotional
processing.
However,
male off springs of mothers with high cortisol during pregnancy did not
demonstrate the stronger brain connectivity or a connection between maternal
cortisol and mood symptoms.
"This
study measured maternal cortisol during pregnancy in a more comprehensive
manner than prior research", said study author, Alice Graham.
To
estimate the overall cortisol level during pregnancy, Senior author, Claudia
Buss and colleagues, measured cortisol levels over multiple days in early, mid
and late pregnancy. Measurements taken from the 70 mothers reflected typical
variation in maternal cortisol levels.
Article
Source >> BS
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