Pregnancy Stress and Allergies

Posted by Brenda Lane Jun 10, 2008

What affect does stress have on your pregnancy or on your growing baby? Research tells us that there may be a link between stress and your baby's likelihood of developing allergies and asthma.

Babies whose mothers reported more stress during pregnancy had increased levels of lgE. lgE is an antibody that is present during both asthma and allergies reactions.

One of the study's authors, Dr. Peters, speculates that stress might make women more susceptible to allergens because it "may make the cells more permeable." In this case, even a low level exposure could trigger a reaction. It is quite possible that mothers whose immune systems are altered by stress could pass that tendency down to their babies.

Yet one more example of how important it is to remain healty and as stress-free as possible during pregnancy!

Brenda