Wall Street Journal Examines Effects Of Stress During Pregnancy

Main Category: Pregnancy / Obstetrics
Article Date: 30 Jan 2006 - 0:00 PDT

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The Wall Street Journal on Thursday examined the "growing body" of research on the effects of increased levels of stress in some pregnant women, which has prompted a "gradual" shift in approaches toward managing pregnancy with new information about methods to reduce risks of pregnancy complications. According to the Journal, recent studies show that women who experience high levels of stress or anxiety during pregnancy increase their risk for delivering prematurely or delivering infants with low birthweights or other health conditions, including respiratory and developmental complications. ComPsych, a Chicago-based firm that provides employee-assistance services for 6,000 employers, reported that within the last two years, calls from pregnant women have increased 14.73% and concerns about controlling stress have been a top priority, a spokesperson said. Because women react differently to stress, researchers are studying genetic causes, as well as other factors that might make some women more vulnerable to stress during pregnancy than others, the Journal reports. Some studies have shown that maintaining a positive attitude might be the "most important" factor in reducing stress-related health risks during pregnancy, the Journal reports (Shellenbarger, Wall Street Journal, 1/26).

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