 |
 |
| |
Distressed pregnancy may cause
Distress among pregnant mothers can influence the mental stability of their child, claims a study. The study, published by researchers in the US, states that, "Women subjected to traumatising stress like natural disasters, hurricane, wars or a sudden bereavement during pregnancy are more likely to give birth to children who develop schizophrenia." The New York University’s School of Medicine, that conducted the research, looked at the birth data of 88,829 people born in Jerusalem form 1964 to 1976 and cross-referenced it with Israel’s national psychiatry registry.
They learnt that the offspring of women who were in their second month of pregnancy during the height of the Arab-Israel war in 1967, showed a higher rate of schizophrenia as they entered adulthood.
Schizophrenia is a mental illness that affects a person’s ability to perform simple tasks effectively. The symptoms are bizarre, due to which a schizophrenic often gets termed as being "mentally unsound" or "abnormal". The symptoms could vary from hallucinations and disorganised speech to delusions and negative emotions.
Dr Hozefa Bhinderwala, consultant psychiatrist at Saifee and Prince Ali Khan Hospital, explains, "The factors behind this mental disorder are multiple. Studies have not yet been able to clearly define the real cause behind it. The reasons could partly be genetics, hereditary, social environmental factors or even certain imbalances in the nervous system."
According to Dr Bhinderwala, distress could be one of the reasons, but not the only one. "It is not easy to simply state that distressed pregnant mothers could influence a child’s mental condition. Schizophrenia only manifests in late adolescence or early adulthood, i.e. after a child is 15 years of age. During this period, a lot other factors could trigger the condition."
However an earlier study by UK researchers in 2005 also claimed that children of over-stressed mothers were more vulnerable to anxiety.
UK scientists believed that "High levels of stress hormones could cross the placenta and affect the baby in the womb in a way that carries long-term implications."
Maternal stress is said to trigger the secretion of stress hormone, adrenaline. Adrenaline and adrenaline-like stress hormones can cause uterine contractions that disturb the fetus and hence constrict blood vessels that diminish blood flow and oxygen to the fetus. And lack of oxygen to the brain could be harmful to a child.
Hence, scientists and researchers say that mothers must avoid getting too stressed as it may have long-term implications on the child.
Dr Bhinderwala strongly believes that even though the research could help the study of schizophrenia, it cannot be taken for granted.
"In the case of the study on pregnant mothers during the Arab-Israel war, researchers should have delved deeper. Like whether their families had any past history of schizophrenia. Probably, the mothers may have already been subjected to stress earlier. The war could have just been another handicap," he argues. But it is always better for pregnant mothers to take precautionary measures for a healthy child.
l Make extra efforts to avoid taking physical, social and emotional stress — like anxiety, fear, worries, anger etc.
l Medical professionals suggest antenatal classes for women, in order to eliminate unnecessary fears about pregnancy and help pregnant mothers stay relaxed.
|
|
|
|
|