Stress and Pregnancy
Stress can affect pregnant women in a variety of ways, from high blood pressure to heart disease and even premature birth before 37 weeks, a leading cause of death and disability in newborns. New research suggests that stressed-out mothers-to-be are causing their babies to age faster in unexpected ways.
The Impact of Stress on Babies’ Teeth
Experts believe that babies of stressed mothers start teething earlier. A mother’s higher levels of stress-related hormones, particularly cortisol, during late pregnancy are linked to the earlier eruption of her infant’s primary teeth. It may be hard to remember, but babies grow 20 teeth at some point between 6 months and 3 years old. Factors such as genetics, diet, birth weight, and maternal age influenced the timing of the eruption of these “baby teeth”.
Study Findings
For the new study, saliva samples were collected from 142 women in their second and third trimesters to measure their levels of cortisol, progesterone, testosterone, and other hormones. The babies were brought for dental visits at 1, 2, 4, 6, 12, 18, and 24 months of age. By 6 months, 15% of babies had one to six teeth and by 12 months, almost 98% of babies had up to 12 teeth. The infants of mothers with the highest salivary cortisol levels had an average of four more teeth at 6 months of age compared to the infants of mothers with the lowest cortisol levels.
The Role of Cortisol
The primary “stress hormone” cortisol not only triggers the fight-or-flight response, but can also negatively impact bone growth, especially in developing babies. High maternal cortisol levels during late pregnancy can alter fetal growth and mineral metabolism, including the regulation of calcium and vitamin D levels – both important for the mineralization of bones and teeth. Cortisol is also known to influence the activity of cells called osteoblasts and osteoclasts, which are responsible for building, shaping, and remodeling bones.
Additional Findings
The researchers also identified weaker but still notable links between:
- The mother’s estradiol and testosterone levels and a greater number of baby teeth after one year
- The maternal progesterone and testosterone levels and the number of teeth at 2
- Her levels of the thyroid hormone triiodothyronine and her teeth at 18 and 24 months
Conclusion
The results of the study were published in Frontiers in Oral Health. While the findings are significant, there are still important questions that need to be answered, such as what maternal hormones or downstream developmental pathways cause the change in the timing of tooth eruption, and what such acceleration reveals about a child’s overall health.
