Pregnancy and Prenatal Stress

We review evidence that maternal stress and distress during pregnancy affect fetal growth, pose risk of adverse birth outcomes, mainly preterm birth and low birth weight, and predict poorer developmental and health outcomes over the lifespan. In addition, we describe the forms of stress shown to be harmful, how they are measured, and briefly review behavioral and physiological mechanisms that may explain the impact of prenatal stress. Furthermore, we discuss some maternal characteristics and interventions that may protect against maternal stress, highlight directions for further investigation, and offer recommendations to women to alleviate stress and its effects in pregnancy.