Stress and Pregnancy

This week in pathophysiology, we are studying the stress response and all the problems that result. Of course I have to find out how it affects women and pregnancy.
The stress response is even more pronounced during pregnancy. The problem with this is that the hormones released cross the placenta and affect the developing baby. This can lead to low birth weight, preterm delivery, and a range of functional, behavioral, and emotional deficits in the child. In the mother it can lead to poorer attachment to the baby and increased risk for postpartum depression. The difficulty in treating pregnant mothers is that the pharmaceuticals that could be used cross the placenta and also affect the baby. Today however I found a great research journal. The Limerick Lullaby project was a study to see how singing lullabies during pregnancy affected stress. The results were great. Singing lullabies significantly reduced stress, anxiety, and depression during pregnancy with improved fetal outcomes. Don't like to sing? Music with a soft melody and tempo of 60-80 beats per min is also effective.