Points To Note
Evidence shows that high maternal stress during pregnancy predisposes mothers to preterm birth and/or increases risk of the baby developing Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
Babies can sense their mum’s sadness or depression through chemical signals during pregnancy and after birth through: facial expression, voice tone, touch and behavioural changes.
Equally babies can sense their mothers’ love through the neurobiological mechanisms of oxytocin pathway, which plays a critical role in brain chemistry and behavioural patterns in the infant, with far-reaching consequences for their growth, development and adjustment to adult life.