Stress is never a good thing, and this goes double for pregnant women, as ScienceDaily.com reports that it may also cause unborn babies to develop mood disorders later in life.

Recent developments have revealed that “inherited stress” may be caused by glucocorticoids, stress hormones which manifest themselves in the body during stressful situations.

Neuroendocrinologist Megan Holmes from the University of Edinburgh/British Heart Foundation Centre for Cardiovascular Science in Scotland (UK), says, "The stress hormone cortisol may be a key factor in programming the fetus, baby or child to be at risk of disease in later life. Cortisol causes reduced growth and modifies the timing of tissue development as well as having long lasting effects on gene expression.”

There is, however, a possible solution. A certain enzyme called 11ß-HSD2 (11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2) has been found to act as a shield, protecting the unborn child’s brain from the harmful effects of cortisol. At high stress levels, the transport of nutrients from the mother to the placenta may not be as effective, weakening the 11ß-HSD2, causing cortisol to affect the fetus' brain during development.

This shows how important it is for expectant mothers to shy away from stressful situations as much as they can. Although it’s impossible to control one’s environment, there are many ways you can de-stress. Our article on FNites’ 60 favorite stress relievers can help give ideas on the best ways to stay in the mental green zone.

(Photo by Raúl Hernández González via Flickr Creative Commons)