Stress during pregnancy causes great harm to both the mother and the baby. According to research conducted in recent years, stress during pregnancy causes irreversible damage to the physical and mental health of the baby. Exposure to stress during pregnancy begins to affect the brain development of babies starting from the 17th week. Many studies on animals and humans reveal that stress increases the risk of miscarriage and premature birth. Stress also causes low birth weight, decreased mental functions of the baby, attention deficit, hyperactivity and excessive irritability. It is extremely important to identify stressful situations and eliminate them in a short time.
Main Causes of Stress During Pregnancy
Many physiological and psychological changes are observed in the body during pregnancy. The expectant mother feels inadequate, the stress experienced while waiting for the results of the test results and health checks, the discomfort of the changes in the body, concerns about the birth process, aches and pains, concerns about the health of the baby, the responsibility of having a child, financial difficulties and unwanted Pregnancies are some of the main sources of stress that occur during pregnancy. The constant state of sadness, lack of concentration, sleep disturbance, hopelessness, anxiety, forgetfulness and crying attacks caused by pregnancy depression, which is seen in approximately 10% to 20% of expectant mothers, are situations that put the pregnancy and the baby's future at risk. These situations affect the baby and the mother, as well as the problems that deeply shake the expectant father and the relationship.
The Effect of Stress on the Baby
The risk of premature birth increases fourfold for expectant mothers who experience stress during pregnancy. Severe stress and hopelessness experienced during pregnancy significantly increase the baby's cortisol level. This causes the newborn baby to become more anxious at later ages. Stress experienced during pregnancy significantly affects the baby in the postnatal period. Babies who have been exposed to pregnancy stress may develop intelligence deficits, low attention, retardation in language skills and depressive disorder in the 3-5 years of age period. It has cliques. Especially the stress experienced between the 12th and 22nd weeks of pregnancy causes the baby to experience attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder when it reaches adolescence.
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