from Biological Psychiatry
Mothers who are exposed to high levels of stress during pregnancy have kids who are more than twice as likely to have chronic symptoms of hyperactivity, such as ADHD, and conduct disorder. That comment comes from Dr. Ian Coleman, leader of a team of researchers at the University of Ottawa. He says a mother’s stress can alter brain development in the fetus and those changes may be long-lasting. For those reasons, expectant mothers may want to consider the trend toward stress management. Dr. Coleman says we can’t avoid all stressful events in our lives and since we can’t always prevent them, the focus should be on helping mothers manage stress in order to give their children the best start in life. The study appears in Biological Psychiatry.