More research is certainly needed to understand whether and how pregnancy stress affects black children’s telomeres, as the stress measures used in this study took into account the unique stressors of black women, such as discrimination and institutional racism. may not have captured, noted Alyssa Appel, PhD, senior author of the study and UCSF professor of psychiatry at the Weill Institute for Neurosciences.
“Given the role of stress in racial health disparities and other important pregnancy health outcomes, such as low birth weight and preterm birth, it is critical to support all women during this critical period,” Appel said.
“We must work hard to identify women with high levels of toxic stress and social adversity in order to provide interventions that address not only feelings of stress and depression but also issues such as food insecurity, financial stress and housing instability.” also addresses.”
Mindfulness interventions can reduce stress and depression during pregnancy and years later, UCSF researchers reported in a separate study this week.