Stress hits even before pregnancy

Stress in the six months before conception increases the risk of giving birth prematurely. Mothers who experience a death or serious illness in the family before falling pregnant are more likely to have a preterm baby. The link was particularly strong in mothers who had experienced "severe life events" in older children, the Human Reproduction journal reported. Effects of stress hormones in the womb, may explain the findings, experts said. Records from 1.35m mothers in Denmark were analyzed in the study, which comes on the back of earlier research suggesting stress during pregnancy is a risk factor for premature birth. Serious illness or death in older children in the six months prior to conception, increased the risk of birth before 37 weeks by 23% and the risk of birth before 33 weeks by 59%. Death or illness in close relatives, such as parents, siblings or a partner in the last six months before becoming pregnant increased the risk of birth before 37 weeks by 16%. Mothers who had experience stress and were also missing a parent or who did not have a partner were significantly more likely to have a premature birth.

The researchers suggested several possible explanations for the findings including increased levels of stress hormones or lifestyle changes in response to stress, such as increased consumption of tobacco, alcohol, and poor food choices.