Premium
Foetal Experience: Lifelong Consequences
Author(s) -
Matthews Stephen G
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
journal of neuroendocrinology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.062
H-Index - 116
eISSN - 1365-2826
pISSN - 0953-8194
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2826.2006.01504.x
Subject(s) - offspring , endocrine system , medicine , endocrinology , hypothalamus , anxiety , psychology , pregnancy , developmental psychology , biology , hormone , psychiatry , genetics
Summary Modification of the foetal environment has lifelong consequences for endocrine function and behaviour. Maternal stress through activation of the hypothalamus‐pituitary‐adrenal axis can lead to increased anxiety levels and stress reactivity in offspring. Furthermore, these effects can pass across generations. The race is now on to understand the mechanisms involved and to find ways to prevent or reverse the effects of an ‘adverse’ early environment in human populations.