Reuters
May 19, 2008
Women who are stressed about money, relationships and other problems during pregnancy may give birth to babies predisposed to allergies and asthma, researchers said yesterday.
The findings, presented at a meeting of the American Thoracic Society in Toronto, suggest a pregnant woman's stress may have lasting consequences.
"This research adds to a growing body of evidence that links maternal stress . . . to changes in children's developing immune systems," said Dr. Rosalind Wright of Harvard Medical School.
Studies in animals have found that a mother's stress amplifies the effects of allergen exposure on the immune system of the developing offspring.
Copyright Reuters.
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