The Role of Stress in Brain Development: The Gestational Environment’s Long-Term Effects on the Brain

Editor’s note: During gestation, the fetal brain develops dramatically as structures and connections form, providing the foundation for all future development. The fetal environment plays a critical role in these early neural processes, for better or for worse. Scientists now know that exposure to maternal stress can sometimes have deleterious effects on the fetus, depending on the cause, timing, duration, and intensity of stress. Fortunately, postnatal interventions, such as a secure parent-infant bond and an enriched environment, can buffer the potential negative consequences.

• Publication year

  2012

• Venue

  Cerebrum

• Publication date

  2012-03-01

• Fields of study

  Biology, Medicine, Psychology

• Identifiers
  PMID 23447790PMCID 3574809
• External record

  Open on Semantic Scholar

• Source metadata

  Semantic Scholar, PubMed

• No claims are published for this paper.

• No concepts are published for this paper.

• Temporal and Spatial Evolution of Brain Network Topology during the First Two Years of Life

  2011cited by this paper
• The contribution of maternal stress to preterm birth: issues and considerations.

  2011cited by this paper
• Prenatal treatment with glucocorticoids sensitizes the hpa axis response to stress among full-term infants.

  2011cited by this paper
• Ecological Momentary Assessment of Maternal Cortisol Profiles Over a Multiple-Day Period Predicts the Length of Human Gestation

  2011cited by this paper
• Prenatal Programming of Human Neurological Function

  2011cited by this paper
• Lower Glial Metabolite Levels in Brains of Young Children with Prenatal Nicotine Exposure

  2011cited by this paper
• Spatiotemporal transcriptome of the human brain

  2011cited by this paper
• Fetal brain volumetry through MRI volumetric reconstruction and segmentation

  2011cited by this paper
• Effects of maternal malnutrition and postnatal nutritional rehabilitation on brain fatty acids, learning, and memory.

  2011cited by this paper
• The Adaptive Calibration Model of stress responsivity.

  2011cited by this paper
• Long-term outcome of prenatal dexamethasone treatment of 21-hydroxylase deficiency.

  2011cited by this paper
• Maternal pregnancy-specific anxiety is associated with child executive function at 6–9 years age

  2011cited by this paper
• Effects of early life stress on cognitive and affective function: an integrated review of human literature

  2011cited by this paper
• Maternal prenatal cortisol and infant cognitive development: moderation by infant-mother attachment.

  2010cited by this paper
• Prenatal programming of postnatal plasticity?

  2010cited by this paper
• Prenatal stress and developmental programming of human health and disease risk: concepts and integration of empirical findings

  2010cited by this paper
• Attenuation of maternal psychophysiological stress responses and the maternal cortisol awakening response over the course of human pregnancy

  2010cited by this paper
• High pregnancy anxiety during mid-gestation is associated with decreased gray matter density in 6-9-year-old children.

  2010cited by this paper
• Structural brain alterations in schizophrenia following fetal exposure to the inflammatory cytokine interleukin-8.

  2010cited by this paper
• The timing of prenatal exposure to maternal cortisol and psychosocial stress is associated with human infant cognitive development.

  2010cited by this paper
• Immunity, thyroid function and pregnancy: molecular mechanisms

  2010cited by this paper
• Depressive symptoms are associated with elevated serum proinflammatory cytokines among pregnant women.

  2009cited by this paper
• Anatomical brain magnetic resonance imaging of typically developing children and adolescents.

  2009cited by this paper
• Evidence on the emergence of the brain's default network from 2-week-old to 2-year-old healthy pediatric subjects

  2009cited by this paper
• The maternal cortisol awakening response in human pregnancy is associated with the length of gestation.

  2009cited by this paper
• Endocrine Regulation of Feto-Placental Growth

  2009cited by this paper
• Low Levels of Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone during Early Pregnancy Are Associated with Precocious Maturation of the Human Fetus

  2009cited by this paper
• Altered neurometabolites and motor integration in children exposed to methamphetamine in utero

  2009cited by this paper
• Fetal mechanisms in neurodevelopmental disorders.

  2008cited by this paper
• A Structural MRI Study of Human Brain Development from Birth to 2 Years

  2008cited by this paper
• Temporal and Spatial Development of Axonal Maturation and Myelination of White Matter in the Developing Brain

  2008cited by this paper
• Developmental origins of child mental health disorders.

  2008cited by this paper
• Quality of child-parent attachment moderates the impact of antenatal stress on child fearfulness.

  2008cited by this paper
• Early Postnatal Development of Corpus Callosum and Corticospinal White Matter Assessed with Quantitative Tractography

  2007cited by this paper
• Maternal Care Modulates the Relationship between Prenatal Risk and Hippocampal Volume in Women But Not in Men

  2007cited by this paper
• Regional Gray Matter Growth, Sexual Dimorphism, and Cerebral Asymmetry in the Neonatal Brain

  2007cited by this paper
• Prenatal exposure to maternal depression and cortisol influences infant temperament.

  2007cited by this paper
• Stress inoculation-induced indications of resilience in monkeys.

  2007cited by this paper
• Postnatal stimulation of the pups counteracts prenatal stress-induced deficits in hippocampal neurogenesis.

  2006cited by this paper
• Mapping brain maturation.

  2006cited by this paper
• Maternal psychological distress during pregnancy in relation to child development at age two.

  2006cited by this paper
• Antenatal betamethasone treatment has a persisting influence on infant HPA axis regulation

  2006cited by this paper
• Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone during Pregnancy Is Associated with Infant Temperament

  2005cited by this paper
• Prenatal Stress Alters Cytokine Levels in a Manner That May Endanger Human Pregnancy

  2005cited by this paper
• Living with the Past: Evolution, Development, and Patterns of Disease

  2004cited by this paper
• Trajectories of brain development: point of vulnerability or window of opportunity?

  2003cited by this paper
• Structural and functional maturation of the developing primate brain.

  2003cited by this paper
• Elevated maternal interleukin-8 levels and risk of schizophrenia in adult offspring.

  2003cited by this paper
• Laminar organization of the human fetal cerebrum revealed by histochemical markers and magnetic resonance imaging.

  2002cited by this paper
• Adaptationism – how to carry out an exaptationist program

  2002cited by this paper
• Maturation of white matter in the human brain: a review of magnetic resonance studies.

  2001cited by this paper
• Relationship of childhood abuse and household dysfunction to many of the leading causes of death in adults. The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study.

  1998cited by this paper
• Synaptogenesis, heterochrony and epigenesis in the mammalian neocortex

  1997cited by this paper
• Effects of early prenatal dexamethasone on the cognitive and behavioral development of young children: results of a pilot study.

  1995cited by this paper
• Neurotoxicity of glucocorticoids in the primate brain.

  1994cited by this paper
• The influence of temperament and mothering on attachment and exploration: an experimental manipulation of sensitive responsiveness among lower-class mothers with irritable infants.

  1994cited by this paper
• Development of Human Blood‐CSF‐Brain Barrier

  1986cited by this paper
• THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE HUMAN BLOOD‐CSF‐BRAIN BARRIER

  1985cited by this paper
• Postnatal development of brain alpha 1-adrenergic receptors: in vitro autoradiography with [125I]HEAT in normal rats and rats treated with alpha-difluoromethylornithine, a specific, irreversible inhibitor of ornithine decarboxylase.

  1985cited by this paper
• The development of the brain.

  1979cited by this paper
• Endocrinology of pregnancy.

  1955cited by this paper
• Article in Press G Model Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews Evolutionary Functions of Early Social Modulation of Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal Axis Development in Humans

  year unknowncited by this paper

• A review of the potential off-target effects of antenatal steroid exposures on fetal development.

  2025cites this paper
• Advance in the Mechanisms Underlying Prenatal Stress-induced Depressive-like Behavior in Offspring

  2025cites this paper
• Stress During Lactation: A Hidden Link to Offspring Bone Health

  2025cites this paper
• Birth and Early Childhood Outcomes in Families Receiving an Unconditional Prenatal Cash Benefit

  2025cites this paper
• Nucleus accumbens volume mediates the association between prenatal adversity and attention problems in youth.

  2025cites this paper
• Postpartum depression: Impact on pregnant women and the postnatal physical, emotional, and cognitive development of their children. An ecological perspective.

  2024cites this paper
• Emotional dysregulation following prenatal stress is associated with altered prefrontal cortex responsiveness to an acute challenge in adolescence.

  2024cites this paper
• Obesity in pregnancy—Long‐term effects on offspring hypothalamic‐pituitary‐adrenal axis and associations with placental cortisol metabolism: A systematic review

  2023cites this paper
• Vulnerability and resilience to prenatal stress exposure: behavioral and molecular characterization in adolescent rats

  2023cites this paper
• How prenatal cortisol levels may differentially affect the neurodevelopment of boys and girls.

  2023cites this paper
• Effects of Prenatal Stress on Behavior, Cognition, and Psychopathology: A Comprehensive Review

  2023cites this paper
• Pre- and postnatal maternal depressive symptoms associate with white matter integrity in 5-year-olds in sex-specific manner.

  2023cites this paper
• Protocol for the COVID-19 Wellbeing and Stress Study: a longitudinal study of parent distress, biological stress and child biopsychosocial development during the pandemic and beyond

  2023cites this paper
• Sourcing high tissue quality brains from deceased wild primates with known socio‐ecology

  2023cites this paper
• Maternal term pruritus and long-term neuropsychiatric hospitalizations of the offspring

  2022cites this paper
• Understanding the Maternal‐Fetal Environment and the Birth of Prenatal Pediatrics

  2022cites this paper
• Synergistic gene regulation by thyroid hormone and glucocorticoid in the hippocampus.

  2022cites this paper
• The importance of a healthy psychological approach to life and how trauma can influence health, pregnancy, and children

  2022cites this paper
• Prenatal Stress and the Developing Brain: Postnatal Environments Promoting Resilience.

  2022cites this paper
• Associations between psychological distress and hair cortisol during pregnancy and the early postpartum: A meta-analysis.

  2022cites this paper
• The COVID-19 Pandemic and Early Child Cognitive Development: A Comparison of Development in Children Born During the Pandemic and Historical References

  2022cites this paper
• Understanding Vulnerability and Adaptation in Early Brain Development using Network Neuroscience.

  2021cites this paper
• Distinct multivariate structural brain profiles are related to variations in short- and long-delay memory consolidation across children and young adults

  2021cites this paper
• To be submitted to Psychoneuroendocrinology Title: Enhanced inflammatory status and altered metabolism in adolescence as early biological changes predictive the long-term negative consequences of exposure to stress early in life: novel targets for prevention.

  2021cites this paper
• Fetal programming of human energy homeostasis brain networks: Issues and considerations

  2021cites this paper
• Perinatal Stress on Behavior and Neuroendocrine Functionality in the Offspring: Biological Substrates

  2021cites this paper
• Extracellular Vesicles in Premature Aging and Diseases in Adulthood Due to Developmental Exposures

  2021cites this paper
• Effects of Early Life Stress on the Developing Basolateral Amygdala-Prefrontal Cortex Circuit: The Emerging Role of Local Inhibition and Perineuronal Nets

  2021cites this paper
• Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Early Child Cognitive Development: Initial Findings in a Longitudinal Observational Study of Child Health

  2021cites this paper
• Biopsychosocial Factors during the Perinatal Period: Risks, Preventative Factors, and Implications for Healthcare Professionals

  2021cites this paper
• Differential effects of early or late exposure to prenatal maternal immune activation on mouse embryonic neurodevelopment

  2021cites this paper
• Light therapy for mood disorders.

  2021cites this paper
• Prenatal stress leads to deficits in brain development, mood related behaviors and gut microbiota in offspring

  2021cites this paper
• Intergenerational Transmission of Parental Early Life Stress

  2021cites this paper
• Looking Ahead: Pre- and Perinatal Interventions for Maternal Distress to Prevent Neurodevelopmental Vulnerability

  2021cites this paper
• Breastfeeding, prenatal depression and children’s IQ and behaviour: a test of a moderation model

  2021cites this paper
• Physiological sex differences in microglia and their relevance in neurological disorders

  2020cites this paper
• Perinatal risk factors and reactive attachment disorder: A nationwide population‐based study

  2020cites this paper
• Maternal Depressive Symptoms During Pregnancy and Brain Age in Young Adult Offspring: Findings from a Prenatal Birth Cohort.

  2020cites this paper
• Prenatal and Perinatal EMDR Therapy: Early Family Intervention

  2020cites this paper
• The Long-Term Effects of Early Life Stress on the Modulation of miR-19 Levels

  2020cites this paper
• Dynamic Characterization of Structural, Molecular, and Electrophysiological Phenotypes of Human-Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Cerebral Organoids, and Comparison with Fetal and Adult Gene Profiles

  2020cites this paper
• Depression, obesity and their comorbidity during pregnancy: effects on the offspring’s mental and physical health

  2020cites this paper
• Alterations in 'inflammatory' pathways in the rat prefrontal cortex as early biological predictors of the long-term negative consequences of exposure to stress early in life.

  2020cites this paper
• The effects of a music and singing intervention during pregnancy on maternal well-being and mother–infant bonding: a randomised, controlled study

  2020cites this paper
• Chromodomain helicase DNA-binding proteins and neurodevelopmental disorders

  2020cites this paper
• Temporally and sex‐specific effects of maternal perinatal stress on offspring cortical gyrification and mood in young adulthood

  2020cites this paper
• Prenatal Broken Bonds: Trauma, Dissociation and the Calming Womb Model

  2020cites this paper
• Maternal Plasma 25-Hydroxyvitamin D during Gestation Is Positively Associated with Neurocognitive Development in Offspring at Age 4-6 Years.

  2020cites this paper
• What did We Learn from the Structural and Functional Development of Fetal Brain Using Four-dimensional Sonography?

  2020cites this paper
• The Effects of Chronic Early-life Social Isolation on Hippocampal Cell Number and Hippocampal-Dependent Learning and Memory in Male and Female Rats

  2019cites this paper
• Maternal schizophrenia and adverse birth outcomes: what mediates the risk?

  2019cites this paper
• Translating basic research knowledge on the biological embedding of early-life stress into novel approaches for the developmental programming of lifelong health.

  2019influential citation
• Characterizing adverse prenatal and postnatal experiences in children

  2019cites this paper
• Coordinated transcriptional regulation by thyroid hormone and glucocorticoid interaction in adult mouse hippocampus-derived neuronal cells

  2019cites this paper
• Cortical remodelling in childhood is associated with genes enriched for neurodevelopmental disorders

  2019cites this paper
• Maternal Stress Potentiates the Effect of an Inflammatory Diet in Pregnancy on Maternal Concentrations of Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha

  2018cites this paper
• Biological processes related to positive development after preterm birth: the interplay between sleep, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activity, and autonomic functioning, and the role of parental insomnia symptoms

  2018cites this paper
• Prenatal maternal stress and risk of neurodevelopmental disorders in the offspring: A systematic review and meta-analysis protocol

  2018cites this paper
• Effect of prenatal immobilization stress on spatial memory, anxiety-like behavior and brain BDNF concentration in the F1 generation male mice

  2018cites this paper
• Stereology and automated measurement of the human brain

  2018cites this paper
• Parenting and child experiences in shelter: A qualitative study exploring the effect of homelessness on the parent–child relationship

  2018cites this paper
• Adverse neuropsychiatric development following perinatal brain injury: from a preclinical perspective

  2018cites this paper
• Placental FKBP51 mediates a link between second trimester maternal anxiety and birthweight in female infants

  2018cites this paper
• Maternal IL-6 during pregnancy can be estimated from newborn brain connectivity and predicts future working memory in offspring

  2018cites this paper
• Review : Intergenerational transmission of disadvantage : epigenetics and parents ’ childhoods as the first exposure

  2018cites this paper
• Lifelong gender health programming in fetal life

  2018cites this paper
• Intergenerational Transmission of Maternal Childhood Maltreatment Exposure: Implications for Fetal Brain Development.

  2017cites this paper
• Infant-Guided, Co-Regulated Feeding in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Part I: Theoretical Underpinnings for Neuroprotection and Safety

  2017influential citation
• Child and family health in the era of prevention: new opportunities and challenges

  2017cites this paper
• Maternal stress modifies the effect of exposure to lead during pregnancy and 24-month old children's neurodevelopment.

  2017cites this paper
• Behaviours described as ADHD: What do we know? A research digest for practitioners

  2017cites this paper
• Influence of maternal thyroid hormones during gestation on fetal brain development.

  2017cites this paper
• Effect of chronic stress during adolescence in prefrontal cortex structure and function

  2017cites this paper
• Sex differences in DNA methylation of the cord blood are related to sex-bias psychiatric diseases

  2017cites this paper
• alivary and hair glucocorticoids and sleep in very preterm children uring school age

  2016cites this paper
• The Influence of Maternal Depression during Pregnancy on Neonatal Fiber Tract Integrity

  2016cites this paper
• Are We Ready to investigate Cognitive Function of Fetal Brain? The Role of Advanced Four-dimensional Sonography

  2016cites this paper
• Mercury (Hg) exposure and its effects on Saudi breastfed infant's neurodevelopment.

  2016cites this paper
• Imaging the “At-Risk” Brain: Future Directions

  2016cites this paper
• Developmental Origins of Health and Disease: A Challenge for Nurses.

  2016cites this paper
• Influence of chronic stress in pregnant women on development of eating habits in their offspring in postnatal life

  2016cites this paper
• Is maternal trait anxiety a risk factor for late preterm and early term deliveries?

  2016cites this paper
• Preventive Effects on Birth Outcomes: Buffering Impact of Maternal Stress, Depression, and Anxiety

  2015cites this paper
• Prenatal Origins of Chronic Kidney Disease

  2015cites this paper
• Prenatal Maternal Stress: Neurological and Physiological Impacts on Offspring

  2015cites this paper
• Prenatal stress, development, health and disease risk: A psychobiological perspective-2015 Curt Richter Award Paper.

  2015cites this paper
• A randomised trial of continuous skin-to-skin contact after preterm birth and the effects on salivary cortisol, parental stress, depression, and breastfeeding.

  2015cites this paper
• Epigenetics/Programming in the HPA Axis.

  2015cites this paper
• Maternal low glycaemic index diet, fat intake and postprandial glucose influences neonatal adiposity – secondary analysis from the ROLO study

  2014cites this paper
• Brain-Oriented Care in the NICU: A Case Study

  2014cites this paper
• Prenatal glucocorticoids and maternal smoking during pregnancy independently program adult nicotine dependence in daughters: a 40-year prospective study.

  2014cites this paper
• Priming of inflammatory pain responses by a neonatal immune challenge: implications of neuroimmune-endocrine communication for pain

  2014influential citation
• Effects of a Psychosocial Couple-Based Prevention Program on Adverse Birth Outcomes

  2014cites this paper
• A complete corticotropin releasing factor system localized in human fetal lung

  2014cites this paper
• UNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL DO PARÁ INSTITUTO DE CIÊNCIAS BIOLÓGICAS PROGRAMA DE PÓS-GRADUAÇÃO EM NEUROCIÊNCIAS E BIOLOGIA CELULAR

  2013cites this paper
• CHANGES IN SLEEP ARCHITECTURE AND COGNITION WITH AGE AND PSYCHOSOCIAL STRESS: A STUDY IN FISCHER 344 RATS

  2013cites this paper