—The notion that a woman’s psychological state
during pregnancy affects the fetus is a persistent cultural belief
in many parts of the world. Recent results indicate that prenatal
maternal distress in rodents and nonhuman primates negatively
influences long-term learning, motor development, and behavior
in their offspring. The applicability of these findings to human
pregnancy and child development is considered in this article.
Potential mechanisms through which maternal psychological
functioning may alter development of the fetal nervous system
are being identified by current research, but it is premature to
conclude that maternal prenatal stress has negative consequences
for child development. Mild stress may be a necessary
condition for optimal development.