Open AccessThe influence of stress during pregnancy on the central nervous system of mother and her child
Author(s) -
Anna Kupryjaniuk,
Michał Sobstyl
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
fides et ratio
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2082-7067
DOI - 10.34766/fetr.v47i3.914
Subject(s) - anxiety , amygdala , psychology , pregnancy , hippocampus , cognition , neuroscience , depression (economics) , childbirth , developmental psychology , prefrontal cortex , prenatal stress , medicine , psychiatry , biology , gestation , genetics , macroeconomics , economics
Pregnant women may experience high levels of stress, including those associated with finding oneself in a new reality. In addition, the new reality is the COVID-19 pandemic, which has contributed to the deterioration of the mental state of many people. Chronic stress can lead to neuroanatomical changes in the mother, but also in her baby. It leads to atrophy of neurons in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex, and to the growth and enlargement of the amygdala, i.e. those structures that are responsible for emotions. The mother's emotions also shape the synapses in the fetus, and the neurotransmitters secreted by the mother modify the development of the baby's brain. Research is ongoing in many countries on the consequences of anxiety and depression in pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic. For this reason, it is important to take care of psychological well-being, for example by using the techniques of cognitive behavioral therapy. Support from relatives during pregnancy and childbirth is also an extremely important element in the proper development of the central nervous system of the mother and her child.