March 18th, 2010 
Massachusetts researchers say stress experienced by mothers during pregnancy increases the risk their children will develop asthma.
The researchers, with Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard University in Boston, looked at the differences in immune function markers in umbilical cord blood between babies born to mothers in high-stress situations and those with lower stress.
They said in a statement that they found noticeable differences in patterns that could be linked to asthma later in the children’s lives.
The researchers said their study is the first to show that increased stress in urban environments could account for the high prevalence of asthma among African-American children.
Animal studies have already suggested that a mother’s stress during pregnancy can impact children’s immune system.
The study is published in the American Thoracic Society’s American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
