Research published in The Lancet (September 2000) suggests that significant psychological stress during early pregnancy may increase the likelihood of birth defects. The authors reviewed medical records looking for major stressors—such as the severe illness of a partner or child, or the death of a loved one—occurring during pregnancy or within the 16 months prior to conception.
The study identified 3,560 women who had experienced a major stressful event and compared their outcomes with more than 20,000 pregnancies in which the mothers did not report extreme stress.
Findings included:
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1.18% of pregnancies in the stress group resulted in a child with a birth defect (42 cases).
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In the control group, the rate was 0.65%, representing an 80% increased risk among women who experienced major stress.
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The most striking finding was that the death of an older child during pregnancy increased the risk five-fold.
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If that death was unexpected, the risk increased eight-fold.
The authors suggest that intense psychological stress during early pregnancy may influence fetal development in ways that warrant further investigation.
