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Updated: Mar 13, 2026

Using a Murine Model of Psychosocial Stress in Pregnancy as a Translationally Relevant Paradigm for Psychiatric Disorders in Mothers and Infants
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Effects of prenatal stress on pregnancy and human development: mechanisms and pathways

Mary E Coussons-Read1

  • 1The University of Colorado, Colarado Springs and The Colorado School of Public Health, 1420 Austin Bluffs Parkway, Colorado Springs, CO 80918, USA.

Obstetric Medicine
|June 1, 2013
PubMed

A growing body of research shows that prenatal stress can have significant effects on pregnancy, maternal health and human development across the lifespan. These effects may occur directly through the influence of prenatal stress-related physiological changes on the developing fetus, or indirectly through the effects of prenatal stress on maternal health and pregnancy outcome which, in turn, affect infant health and development. Animal and human studies suggest that activation of the maternal stress response and resulting changes in endocrine and inflammatory activity play a role in the aetiology of these effects. Ongoing research is focusing on clarifying these mechanisms, understanding the role of racial and cultural factors in these effects, and examining the epigenetic and transgenerational influences of prenatal stress.

Keywords:
developmentinflammationpregnancystress

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