Depression during pregnancy might increase child's asthma risk

A new study of inner-city minority expectant moms found that pregnant women who experienced high levels of depression, anxiety or stress were more likely to have a baby who developed asthma. Although other studies have shown a link between stress in an expectant mom and childhood asthma, this study, conducted by researchers at Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Heath and published in Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, the scientific journal of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, was the first to study the connection in minorities. The study

• Included 270 African-American and Hispanic women
• They were monitored before they became pregnant, while pregnant and following delivery
• 70 percent of expectant moms who reported experiencing depression or high levels of stress or anxiety while they were pregnant had children who wheeze by the age of five.

"Understanding how maternal depression affects a child's respiratory health is important in developing effective interventions," Marilyn Reyes, lead author of the study and a researcher at Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health, said. So now you have another reason to keep your stress and anxiety levels down as much as possible during pregnancy! More on stress and pregnancy Another reason to stop stressing during pregnancy Easy ideas for reducing stress during pregnancy Healthy ways of managing stress during pregnancy