Research conducted on wild Assamese macaques in Thailand has highlighted the significant impact that maternal stress in early pregnancy can have on the long-term health of offspring. The study, which spanned nine years and was led by the University of Göttingen and the German Primate Center, reveals that stress hormone levels during the first half of pregnancy are particularly crucial in shaping the stress system of the offspring. Elevated stress hormones later in pregnancy or after birth were found to have less of an impact.
Published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, the study offers valuable insights into the role of early life experiences in the development of the stress system under natural environmental conditions. The researchers focused on how maternal stress affects the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, a system central to stress response. Exposure to maternal glucocorticoids, particularly during the early phase of organ differentiation, was found to significantly influence the stress response in offspring.
“The more adversity the mother experienced in early pregnancy, such as food shortages or social conflicts, the more pronounced the activation of the HPA-axis in the offspring,” said Simone Anzá, a former doctoral student at the University of Göttingen and the first author of the study.
The research team observed the monkeys in their natural habitat, an approach that contrasts with previous lab-based studies. Over the course of nine years, the researchers collected fecal samples from pregnant females to measure glucocorticoid metabolites, which provided insights into the mothers’ exposure to environmental stressors like food scarcity, temperature fluctuations, and social conflicts. These data were then compared with the stress hormone levels in the offspring at various stages of their development, from infancy to adulthood (ages 9–10). The findings revealed that early prenatal stress was linked not only to increased stress hormone activity but also to altered growth patterns, disruptions in the gut microbiome, and weakened immune function.
While the study found that maternal glucocorticoid levels during late pregnancy or lactation had little or differing effects, the results underscore the significant role of early prenatal stress. “Even moderate changes in environmental conditions, rather than catastrophic events, are enough to impact the offspring’s stress system and overall health,” explained Oliver Schülke, a scientist at the University of Göttingen and head of the study.
The implications of this research extend to human health, where maternal stress in early pregnancy has been associated with increased risks of stress-related disorders and immune system problems in offspring. Schülke suggests that the findings could help identify critical periods for preventive measures, potentially reducing the long-term health risks associated with prenatal stress.
This study emphasizes the far-reaching influence of early prenatal experiences on the physiological systems of offspring, with significant consequences for their health throughout their lives.
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