Trauma in utero is commonly caused by chaotic or unpredictable lifestyle factors including, but not limited to, the mother's exposure to domestic violence, lack of antenatal care, or substance misuse during pregnancy.
Force from trauma can sheer the placenta from the uterine wall and lead to fetal demise. Uterine rupture, though rare, usually occurs in the third trimester and is associated with high risk of fetal and maternal mortality. "Even a minor injury can lead to fetal loss," says Dr. Loomis.
Studies have found that, as early as the second trimester, a baby can respond favorably to a mother's singing or with stress to the parents' arguing. Sonograms taken while parents yell at each other have shown babies' bodies “flinching in agitation.”
Traumatic injuries to pregnant women are unintentional (motor vehicle crashes [48%], falls [25%], poisonings, and burns) or intentional (assaults/intimate partner violence [IPV; 17%], suicide [3.3%], homicide, and gunshot wounds [4%]). Injuries are classified as minor or major trauma.
Every pregnancy starts with a 3-5% chance of having a birth defect. This is called the background risk. While there are individual reports of babies born with and without birth defects following trauma, it is unclear if trauma increases the chance for birth defects above the background risk.
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.
High levels of stress that continue for a long time may cause health problems, like high blood pressure and heart disease. During pregnancy, stress can increase the chances of having a premature baby (born before 37 weeks of pregnancy) or a low-birthweight baby (weighing less than 5 pounds, 8 ounces).
Six to eight percent of all pregnant women experience some sort of trauma, with the greatest frequency in the last trimester. Although usually accidental, the injuries are sometimes caused by intentional violence. Approximately 0.3-0.4% of pregnant women have traumatic injuries that require hospitalization.
Fetal distress is diagnosed by monitoring the baby's heart rate. A slow heart rate, or unusual patterns in the heart rate, may signal fetal distress. Your doctor or midwife might pick up signs of fetal distress as they listen to your baby's heart during pregnancy.
The outside noise your baby hears inside the uterus is about half the volume we hear. However, unborn babies may still startle and cry if exposed to a sudden loud noise.
Amniotic sac.
The sac is filled with liquid made by the fetus (amniotic fluid) and the membrane that covers the fetal side of the placenta (amnion). This protects the fetus from injury.
Brain injuries during pregnancy are often caused by potential issues such as high blood pressure passed from the mother to the baby, or in situations where there is oxygen deprivation.
There is growing evidence that even milder forms of maternal stress or anxiety during pregnancy affect the fetus causing possible long-term consequences for infant and child development.
Symptoms may include flashbacks, nightmares and severe anxiety, as well as uncontrollable thoughts about the event. Most people who go through traumatic events may have temporary difficulty adjusting and coping, but with time and good self-care, they usually get better.
Doctors may diagnose a birth injury case through a physical exam as well as imaging, hearing, vision, and intellectual tests. Getting a prompt and accurate diagnosis can help your child get the treatment they need to manage their symptoms and live a healthy, independent life.
The embryonic period, during which organogenesis takes place, occurs between implantation at around 14 days to around 60 days postconception. This is usually the most sensitive period to teratogenesis when exposure to a teratogenic agent has the greatest likelihood of producing a malformation.
The third trimester is brimming with rapid development of neurons and wiring. His brain roughly triples in weight during the last 13 weeks of pregnancy, growing from about 3.5 ounces at the end of the second trimester to almost 10.6 ounces at term.
First Trimester (0 to 13 Weeks)
The first trimester is the most crucial to your baby's development. During this period, your baby's body structure and organ systems develop. Most miscarriages and birth defects occur during this period.
Down syndrome, which arises from a chromosome defect, is likely to have a direct link with the increase in stress levels seen in couples during the time of conception, say Surekha Ramachandran, founder of Down Syndrome Federation of India, who has been studying about the same ever since her daughter was diagnosed with ...
Stress results in increased catecholamine production, which in turn leads to decreased uterine blood flow and increased fetal hypoxia. Animal studies indicate that hypoxia affects a variety of developmental processes (eg, cell death)29 and organ systems, which could result in various types of birth defects.
The Fear of Your Stress Harming the Baby
According to most findings, intermittent stress or stress your body gets used to has minimal impact on your unborn child. On the other hand, severe or acute stress may increase the risk of premature birth. Overall, if you tend to get very stressed, find ways to relax.
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.
Parents should try to refrain from arguing around a baby.
High stress can impact the development of the emotion 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.