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Prenatal Maternal Stress and the Risk of Asthma in Children

Konstantinos Douros1, Maria Moustaki2, Sophia Tsabouri3

  • 13rd Department of Pediatrics, "Attikon" University General Hospital, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece.

Frontiers in Pediatrics
|October 6, 2017
PubMed

Insights

Maternal prenatal stress (MPS) may increase offspring asthma risk through complex biological pathways. This review examines evidence linking MPS to asthma development in children.

Area of Science:

  • Reproductive biology
  • Immunology
  • Developmental biology

Background:

  • Maternal prenatal stress (MPS) is linked to adverse offspring health outcomes.
  • The mechanisms underlying MPS effects are complex and involve multiple biological systems.
  • Potential pathways include placental steroid metabolism, fetal HPA axis development, microbial transfer, and immune skewing.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review current epidemiological and experimental evidence on the effects of MPS on asthma development in offspring.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of epidemiological and experimental studies.

Main Results:

  • MPS is associated with an increased risk of asthma in offspring.
  • Several biological pathways are implicated, including placental function, immune system development, and the fetal hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis.
  • Fetal programming, through gene expression modulation, likely plays a key role.

Conclusions:

  • Maternal prenatal stress is a significant factor in offspring asthma development.
  • Understanding the complex interplay of biological pathways is crucial for developing preventative strategies.
  • Further research is needed to elucidate the precise mechanisms linking MPS to asthma.

Keywords:
asthmaglucocorticoidsmaternal prenatal stressmicrobiotaoffspringwheezing

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