Although it may seem that stress during pregnancy is harmful to the baby, recent research suggests that it affects boys and girls in different ways, possibly even leading to higher IQ scores in girls.
The hormone cortisol, which aids the body in responding to stress, is believed to be important for fetal development. Previous research conducted by researchers at Odense University Hospital in Denmark has shown that cortisol can promote early language development.
Now, the same research team has found that excessive cortisol levels in late pregnancy (from 27 weeks until the end of pregnancy, around 37 to 42 weeks) can impact cognitive function in the future. It is believed that maternal stress during pregnancy may have a differential effect on the IQ of boys and girls once they reach the age of seven.
A study presented at the 26th European Endocrine Congress in Stockholm suggests that girls may be less affected by cortisol exposure due to the protective role of the placenta.
Women who give birth to girls during pregnancy tend to produce more cortisol, but enzymes in the placenta regulate the amount of cortisol that reaches the fetus by converting it into an inactive form called cortisone.
Researchers believe that boys may be more vulnerable to cortisol exposure as they do not benefit from the protective effects of cortisone enzyme.
In a recent study, cortisol and cortisone levels were measured in 943 pregnant women and compared to the IQ scores of 943 children assessed by psychologists seven years later.
The study revealed that boys exposed to high levels of cortisol during pregnancy exhibited lower IQ scores. Surprisingly, girls showed higher IQ scores only when cortisol was detected in urine samples rather than in blood samples.
“To our knowledge, this is the first study to explore the relationship between urinary cortisone levels during pregnancy and children’s IQ scores,” said lead author Dr. Anja Fenger Dryer.
“Previous studies have only focused on cortisol levels in the blood during pregnancy and children’s IQ, but we examined urine samples as well as blood samples, and separately analyzed boys and girls. This is a first.”
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Source: www.sciencefocus.com
