Prenatal stress may affect babies' sleep

By Amy Norton

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A mother's anxiety or depression during pregnancy may affect her child's sleep patterns early in life, a new study suggests.

Researchers found that babies and toddlers whose mothers had such symptoms during pregnancy tended to have more sleep problems than other young children.

The investigators suspect that elevated stress hormones that mark depression and anxiety may shape fetal brain development in a way that disturbs early-life sleep patterns.

It's important for young children to develop healthy sleep habits not only for the sake of their tired parents, according to lead study author Dr. Thomas O'Connor, an associate professor of psychiatry at the University of Rochester in Rochester, New York.

Sleep problems have, for instance, been linked to a higher risk of behavioral problems in childhood, he said. "Quality of sleep early on may be a good indicator of healthy development," O'Connor told Reuters Health.

The implication, he said, is that taking care of mothers' stress during pregnancy could help not only them but also their children.

"I think the message is, let's take stress and anxiety during pregnancy seriously," O'Connor said.

He and his colleagues report their findings in the journal Early Human Development.