New Insights into Prenatal Stress: Immediate- and Long-Term Effects on the Fetus and Their Timing

  • Kieran J. O’Donnell
  • Nadja Reissland
  • Vivette Glover
Chapter

Abstract

A burgeoning literature emphasizes the importance of the in utero environment for a range of fetal, neonatal, infant and adult health-related outcomes [1]. This period of prenatal development, characterized by rapid growth and development, is a time of increased vulnerability, when intrauterine insults can have deleterious effects on emerging systems and structures. One important factor which affects the in utero environment is maternal stress.

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Copyright information

© Springer International Publishing AG 2017

Authors and Affiliations

  • Kieran J. O’Donnell
    • 1
  • Nadja Reissland
    • 2
  • Vivette Glover
    • 3
  1. 1.Department of PsychiatryDouglas Hospital Research Centre, McGill UniversityMontreal (Qc)Canada
  2. 2.Department of PsychologyDurham UniversityDurhamUnited Kingdom
  3. 3.Department of Surgery and CancerInstitute of Reproductive and Developmental Biology, Imperial College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom

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