The Stress of a Natural Disaster Can Take a Toll on Babies in Utero
In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, researchers found that the stress from dealing with the storm had adverse effects on the infants born soon after.
Pregnant women are often told to avoid stress. Easier said than done. Work, school, life—stress is inevitable. And now researchers are saying they can even document an ill effect on babies when mothers confront one of the most unavoidable stressors: natural disasters.
In 2009, researchers from the City University of New York received a grant from the National Institute of Mental Health to better the impacts of maternal stress and depression on fetal development and long-term psychological outcomes for infants. Most of the 600 women enrolled in the study were low-income and ethnic to prenatal care and medical support, in part because they often don’t have very good health insurance.
