WE FACE MANY STRESSFUL
SITUATIONS EVERYDAY.
BUT HOW DOES THAT STRESS
AFFECT PREGNANT WOMEN?
NEW THIS MORNING--
RESEARCH DONE AT U-N-M
IS SHOWING
HOW STRESS CAN AFFECT
THE BABY )S GROWTH.
NEWS 13 )S SARA YINGLING
SPOKE WITH THE PROFESSOR
BEHIND
THE STUDY AND JOINS US
NOW.
CRYSTAL--
THE RECENTLY PUBLISHED
STUDY SUGGESTS BABIES
ARE PHYSICALLY
AFFECTED BY THE STRESS
LEVEL OF THEIR MOTHER
DURING
PREGNANCY-- RESULTING IN
EITHER A FASTER GROWTH
-- OR A
SLOWER GROWTH.
17:03 it gives us an
idea how tolerant
ecology and environment
might react to a stress
that comes out
from this effect.
IT )S BEEN KNOWN FOR
YEARS THAT PRENATAL
STRESS CAN AFFECT THE
OFFSPRING )S HEALTH LATER
IN LIFE IN TERMS OF
OBESITY-- DIABETES-- AND
HEART ATTACKS.
BUT LEAD
RESEARCHER--ANDR EAS
BERGHANEL-- SAYS UP TO
THIS
POINT--THERE WAS
CONFUSION ABOUT THE
AFFECTS ON OFFSPRING
GROWTH.
BY USING 719 STUDIES
ACROSS 21 MAMMAL
SPECIES---HE AND
RESEARCHERS FROM
UNIVERSITY OF GOETTINGEN
AND THE GERMAN
PRIMATE CENTER--FOUND
THAT PRENATAL STRESS
AFFECTS
OFFSPRING GROWTH RATES--
DEPENDING ON THE (TIMING
OF THE STRESSOR.
THEY SAY OFFSPRING THAT
EXPERIENCE PRENATAL
STRESS
(EARLY IN GESTATION
UNDERGO AN (ACCELERATED
GROWTH.
WHEREAS PRENATAL STRESS
(LATE IN GESTATION
(SLOWED THEIR
GROWTH.
RESEARCHERS SAY THAT )S
BECAUSE MOTHERS
UNDERGOING
STRESS AT THAT TIME ARE
UNABLE TO INVEST AS MUCH
ENERGY IN THEIR
OFFSPRING.
HOWEVER--BERGHANEL SAYS
THIS CAN BE FIXED LATER
IN LIFE.
11:19 it )s important to
see that this is what
prenatal stress does but
its not fixed for life
after that. 11:23 BUTTED
SOT 11:43 there are some
points in life also
later on where all these
affects can be
readjusted.
11:46
BERGHANEL SAYS THIS
STUDY COULD ALSO HELP
THEM UNDERSTAND WHY
GIRLS START THEIR
MENSTRUAL CYCLES EARLIER
IN LOW INCOME
HOUSEHOLDS.
BACK TO YOU.
THANKS SARA.
RESEARCHERS SAY THEY )RE
GOING TO BE LOOKING INTO
HOW BREAST
FEEDING ALSO PLAYS A
ROLE IN OFFSPRING
GROWTH.
