Stress during pregnancy may up kids' asthma risk
A mother's stress during pregnancy may affect her child's risk of developing asthma, a new study suggests. And researchers say this risk appears to increase as the stress level increases. In a study of 5,800 children and their parents, women who said they were "very anxious" during pregnancy were 65 percent more likely to have children who developed asthma. Experts say the key may be that stress increases the production of the hormone cortisol, which could affect a fetus' immune system.
