26 January 2015 - University of Cambridge - Mother’s stress hormone levels may affect foetal growth and long term health of child
Increased levels of stress hormones can lead pregnant mice to overeat, but affect growth of the foetus and, potentially, the long term health of the offspring, according to a study published today.
FAB RESEARCH COMMENT:
Please find the underpinning research here:Together with previous work, the findings show that maternal glucocorticoids regulate foetal nutrition by acting on the placenta. The researchers believe that glucocorticoid levels in pregnant women may therefore determine the specific combination of nutrients received by the foetus and influence the long term metabolic health of their children as a result.
Dr Owen Vaughan from the University of Cambridge says: “The foetuses of the mice with raised levels of the stress hormone tended to be smaller, despite the mother overeating, suggesting that a mother’s stress levels may affect her child’s growth. We showed that this is likely to be because the stress hormone reduced the ability of the placenta to pass essential nutrients to the foetus.”
The researchers believe this study may have implications for women stressed during pregnancy or treated clinically with glucocorticoids, if the mechanisms are similar in humans, though it is unclear yet the extent to which changes in the ability of the placenta to transport nutrients to the foetus exacerbate or protect the child from the potential adverse effects of glucocorticoid overexposure during pregnancy. Nor is it clear whether maternal diet influences the outcome of glucocorticoid overexposure during human pregnancy.
Professor Abby Fowden, who led the research, adds: “It may be that by changing her diet, a mother can counter the effects of stress hormones on the human placenta. In other words, a mother’s ‘hormonal profile’ may dictate the most appropriate diet for a successful outcome of pregnancy. We need more research in this area before we can start giving such advice, however.”
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