{"id":25527,"date":"2025-11-18T06:18:25","date_gmt":"2025-11-18T11:18:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/2025\/11\/18\/pregnancy-stress-may-affect-babies-teeth\/"},"modified":"2025-11-18T06:18:26","modified_gmt":"2025-11-18T11:18:26","slug":"pregnancy-stress-may-affect-babies-teeth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/2025\/11\/18\/pregnancy-stress-may-affect-babies-teeth\/","title":{"rendered":"Pregnancy Stress May Affect Babies’ Teeth"},"content":{"rendered":"

Introduction to the Impact of Stress on Pregnant Women and Their Children<\/h2>\n

Take a chill pill, momma. Stress can affect pregnant women in several ways, from high blood pressure to heart disease and even premature birth before 37 weeks, a leading cause of newborn death and disability. And new research indicates that stressed-out soon-to-be moms may be aging their babies faster in one unexpected way.<\/p>\n

The Relationship Between Maternal Stress and Teething<\/h2>\n

Stress can affect pregnant women in many ways, including their future children\u2019s teeth. Experts from the University of Rochester suggest that teething starts sooner for babies of frazzled moms. \u201cWe show that a mother\u2019s higher levels of stress-related hormones, particularly of cortisol, during late pregnancy are associated with the earlier eruption of primary teeth in her infant,\u201d said corresponding study author Ying Meng, an associate professor at the School of Nursing of the University of Rochester.<\/p>\n

Factors Influencing Teething<\/h2>\n

It may be hard to remember, but you and all your baby friends sprouted 20 teeth between 6 months and 3 years old. Factors like genetics, nutrition, birth weight and maternal age influenced when these \u201cmilk\u201d teeth erupted. For the new study, saliva samples were collected from 142 impoverished women in their second and third trimesters to measure their levels of cortisol, progesterone, testosterone and other hormones. The full-term newborns were brought in for dental visits at 1, 2, 4, 6, 12, 18 and 24 months old.<\/p>\n

Study Findings<\/h2>\n

Children born to women with high cortisol levels had teeth that emerged much earlier. By 6 months, 15% of the babies had one to six teeth, and by 12 months, nearly 98% of the babies had up to 12 teeth. The infants of mothers with the highest cortisol levels in their saliva had four more teeth on average at 6 months old compared to the babies of mothers with the least cortisol.<\/p>\n

The Role of Cortisol in Tooth Development<\/h2>\n

The primary \u201cstress hormone,\u201d cortisol doesn\u2019t just start up the fight-or-flight response \u2014 it can also negatively affect bone growth, especially in developing babies. \u201cHigh maternal cortisol during late pregnancy may alter fetal growth and mineral metabolism, including the regulation of levels of calcium and vitamin D \u2014 both essential for mineralization of bone and teeth,\u201d Meng explained. \u201cCortisol is also known to influence the activity of so-called osteoblast and osteoclast cells, responsible for building up, shaping and remodeling bone.\u201d<\/p>\n

Implications and Precautions<\/h2>\n

And while early erupting teeth are generally not cause for concern, new parents should be on the lookout for signs of discomfort in their baby. The researchers also identified weaker but still notable links between:<\/p>\n