Thaindian News

Sydney, April 21 (IANS) Stressful events experienced during pregnancy are associated with higher risk of behavioural problems in children in later years, according to a study.

Stressful events include financial and relationship problems, difficult pregnancy, job loss, issues with other children and death in the family.

Monique Robinson, psychologist from Telethon Institute for Child Health, said compared to previous studies, this study goes further by analysing the timing, amount and kinds of events that lead to poorer outcomes.

“What we have found is that it is the overall number of stresses that are most related to child behaviour outcomes,” the journal Development and Psychopathology quoted Robinson as saying.

“Two or fewer stresses during pregnancy are not associated with poor child behavioural development, but as the number of stresses increases to three or more, the risks of more difficult child behaviour increase,” Robinson added.

The analysis was undertaken on data from Western Australia’s long-term Raine Study, based on survey of nearly 3,000 pregnant women and recorded life stress events experienced at 18 and 34 weeks of pregnancy, according to a Telethon statement.

The mother’s experience of life stress events and child behavioural assessments were also recorded when the children were followed up at ages two, five, eight, 10, and 14 years using a questionnaire called the Child Behaviour Checklist.

The percentage of women with more than two stress events was 37.2 percent, while the percentage with six or more was 7.6 percent.

Robinson said the study should not make pregnant women stress further about the stress in their lives.

“Regardless of exposure to stress in the womb, a nurturing environment after birth can provide the child with enormous potential to change their course of development,” Robinson said.