Increased noise levels can cause stress. This can cause changes in a the body that can affect your developing baby. Sound can travel through your body and reach your baby. Very loud noises may be able to damage your baby's hearing.
Most recently, some studies are suggesting that stress in the womb can affect a baby's temperament and neurobehavioral development. Infants whose mothers experienced high levels of stress while pregnant, particularly in the first trimester, show signs of more depression and irritability.
Researchers at the Kochi Medical School in Japan found that verbal abuse from a significant other during pregnancy is linked to an increased risk of a baby being born with hearing problems.
In a follow-up across pregnancy, the fetuses of the high-anger women were noted to be more active and to experience growth delays. The high-anger mothers' high prenatal cortisol and adrenaline and low dopamine and serotonin levels were mimicked by their neonates' high cortisol and low dopamine levels.
“Babies have sensitive startle responses, so in the moment, yelling around a baby will likely lead to a response such as tensing, widening eyes or crying,” explains Ariel Horvitz, a clinical psychologist with The Family Institute at Northwestern.
Research suggests that babies are indeed affected by parental squabbles, and exposure to chronic conflict may affect brain development. Experimental studies confirm that babies can sense when their mothers are distressed, and the stress is contagious.
Some women experience irritability and even anger during pregnancy. Hormone changes are one reason for these mood swings. Just like some women experience irritability just before their period arrives every month, these same women may struggle with feelings of frustration and anger during pregnancy.
At around 18 weeks of pregnancy, your unborn baby will start being able to hear sounds in your body like your heartbeat. At 27 to 29 weeks (6 to 7 months), they can hear some sounds outside your body too, like your voice. By the time they are full term, they will be able to hear at about the same level as an adult.
Studies have shown that infants as young as one month-old sense when a parent is depressed or angry and are affected by the parent's mood. Understanding that even infants are affected by adult emotions can help parents do their best in supporting their child's healthy development.
Can too much stress cause early miscarriage? Answer From Yvonne Butler Tobah, M.D. While excessive stress isn't good for your overall health, there's no evidence that stress results in miscarriage. About 10% to 20% of known pregnancies end in miscarriage.
They could increase your chance of complications like premature birth and low birth rate. That's because your body thinks it's in “fight or flight” mode. You produce a surge of stress hormones, which affects your baby's stress management system.
Parents should try to refrain from arguing around a baby.
High stress can impact the development of the emotional parts of the brain. A baby can detect anger in a voice as early as 5 months. Parental arguing causes stress in the baby, elevating their heart rate and increasing their blood pressure.
Some of the stressful events were more strongly associated with stillbirth than were others. For example, the risk of stillbirth was highest: for women who had been in a fight(which doubled the chances for stillbirth) if she had heard her partner say he didn't want her to be pregnant.
As a rule of thumb, babies should not be exposed to noise levels over 60 decibels. The noise level recommended for hospital nurseries is actually lower, at 50 dB. For reference, a quiet conversation is between 50 and 55 dB and an alarm clock is 80 dB.
150 to 155 decibels
Shorter occasional exposure to loud noise in the 150 to 155-decibel range, the level next to a jet engine, can lead to hearing loss and developmental problems. A sudden loud noise also can startle an unborn baby, causing increased activity shortly after the fetus hears the sound.
For example, go for a walk or run, listen to some music, take a warm shower, do some breathing exercises or talk to a friend about how you're feeling. You could also say to yourself, 'Getting angry isn't going to solve this problem' or 'I can work this out'. Look for signs that you're calming down.
Yoga and Meditation
Meditation during pregnancy helps to reduce stress and anger in nine months and also helps to calm yourself. But, you have to understand what meditation you should do to reduce anger during pregnancy? The answers is by doing deep breathing exercises, pranayam, light exercise, etc.
Changes in hormone levels
These two hormones can do a number on one's state of mental health. Estrogen works throughout your entire body and is active in the region of the brain that regulates mood — so it's no surprise that this hormone is associated with anxiety, irritability, and depression.
Fetal fidgets
The fetuses of women who reported higher stress levels during pregnancy moved around more in the womb. After birth, these babies scored higher on a brain maturation test, although they were more irritable. The more active fetuses also had better control of body movements after birth.
Many independent prospective studies have now shown that if a mother is stressed, anxious or depressed while pregnant, her child is at increased risk for having a range of problems, including emotional problems, ADHD, conduct disorder and impaired cognitive development.
Infants, children and adolescents can show signs of disrupted early brain development, sleep disturbance, anxiety, depression, conduct disorder and other serious problems as a result of living with severe or chronic inter-parental conflict.
Yelling at a child is abusive when it is repeated, sustained, and intended to be harmful. Yelling at a child to say they're dumb, slow, lazy, or other things like “a mistake”, is abusive.
The results of two separate 2016 studies may make you think twice the next time you are tempted to lose your temper in front of your baby. In fact, the studies confirmed that babies can tell if an adult is anger-prone, and they may even try to change their behavior to appease that person.