5- Stress and Fetal Development

Question 1

What is Barker’s hypothesis ?

Answer 1

CHD, Type II diabetes, stroke, hypertension originate in fetal development if mom is overstressed

Question 2

What is the programming hypothesis ?

Answer 2

an expansion of Barker’s hypothesis

that non-genetic factors can organize or imprint permanently on physiological systems

Question 3

what is the HPA axis ?

Answer 3

Hypothalamus releases 
CRH 
into pituitary gland 
releases ACTH 
adrenal gland releases cortisol 

cortisol negative feedback for ACTH and CRH release

Question 4

in pregnancy, the increase in cortisol concentration is due to what increases ?

Answer 4

estrogen and ACTH

Question 5

what happens to cortisol concentrations at the end of pregnancy ?

Answer 5

glucocorticoid increase, trigger of mechanism that leads to birth

Question 6

how does cortisol aid in postnatal survival and adaptation ?

Answer 6

accelerate lung maturation, decreases respiratory distress syndrome in premature infants

cortisol helps newborn in the first year of life especially,

Question 7

why is it good for there to be moderate levels of stress in fetal development ?

Answer 7

sensitizes developing nervous system
develop adaptive response to stress
in rats, it was found that this benefits later learning

Question 8

what are the physiological impacts of maternal stress ? (5)

Answer 8

increase in infant mortality and preterm birth
decrease in birth weight and head circumference, which predict later development and learning
foetal movement and heart rate
HPA axis response
brain structure

Question 9

what are the significant variables for spontaneous births ?

Answer 9

the only one is stress

Question 10

what counts as a preterm birth ?

Answer 10

under 35 weeks

Question 11

what diseases are more likely to occur later in life if mother was stressed ?

Answer 11

ADHD, schizophrenia

Question 12

what is chronic stress ? what is it linked to ?

Answer 12

trait anxiety, state anxiety, daily hassles

linked to delayed language development, and lower intellectual functioning

Question 13

what is pregnancy specific anxiety ? what is it linked to ?

Answer 13

stressors related to pregnancy

linked to shorter gestation, decreased mental and motor developent, restlessness

Question 14

how do teratogens affect a child early in pregnancy, compared to at the end of pregnancy ?

Answer 14

early: structural malformation

end : neurobehavioral deficits

Question 15

the worst outcomes come from stress in which time of pregnancy ?

Answer 15

mid-gestation

Question 16

in non-humans, which time of pregnancy leads to the most detriment ?

Answer 16

early gestation

Question 17

why do some people say that stress has the most impact on a fetus in first trimester ?

Answer 17

in the first trimester, a lot of stressed fetuses end up dying

Question 18

in the first trimester, stress is most linked to what as a result ?

Answer 18

increase in congenital abnormalities, defect in cranial-neural crest

Question 19

in the second trimester, stress is most linked to what as a result ?

Answer 19

atypical laterality

Question 20

in the third trimester, stress is most linked to what as a result ?

Answer 20

more of a risk in preterm labor (50% increase in chance of premature delivery)

Question 21

in the third trimester, stress is most linked to what as a result after birth?

Answer 21

increase in infant crying, fussing and negative facial expressions

Question 22

in the ice storm study, what were the findings ?

Answer 22

that if they were in the 1st and 2nd trimester during the storm, there was the most impact on Bayley scores