Maternal Stress During Pregnancy Linked to Infant Eczema, Landmark Study Reveals
TOULOUSE, FRANCE – A groundbreaking study published August 27 in Nature has identified a potential link between maternal stress during teh second trimester of pregnancy and the progress of infant eczema, also known as atopic dermatitis. Researchers from INSERM, CNRS, and the University of Toulouse demonstrate that elevated cortisol levels in pregnant mothers may disrupt fetal immune system development, predisposing their children to the increasingly prevalent skin condition.
The research, utilizing a murine model, showed that pregnant mice exposed to mild stress passed on a heightened susceptibility to eczema in their offspring, evidenced by increased transepidermal water loss and characteristic skin lesions upon stimulation. Analysis revealed nerve hypersensitivity and abnormal activation of mastocytes – immune cells responsible for itching – in the pups.”Mastocytes are already activated at rest, in a neutral habitat, which means that the skin is predisposed to develop inflammation,” explained Nicolas Gaudenzio, INSERM researcher and lead author of the study.
infant eczema is the most common skin disease in children, affecting approximately 15 to 20% of children under two in France, and impacting one in five newborns. Nationwide,over 2.5 million people currently live with the condition, with incidence rates doubling or tripling in children over the past three decades. The study’s findings are reinforced by a cohort analysis of 58 pregnant women in singapore, which showed a correlation between higher cortisol levels during the second trimester and a personal history of eczema in the mothers.
This research offers new insight into a global health concern, with 10 to 20% of children in industrialized nations affected, and prevalence rates of 10 to 15% in European children and around 4% in adults. furthermore, approximately 50% of infants with eczema will later develop asthma, and 30% will develop allergic rhinitis, highlighting the “atopic march” – the progression of allergic diseases throughout life.
Researchers also point to broader environmental factors, including pollution and the “hygiene hypothesis” – the idea that reduced early childhood exposure to microbes may contribute to allergic disease development – as potential contributors to the overall increase in eczema prevalence.”This is the first time that infant eczema has been linked to a cause prior to birth,” Gaudenzio emphasized, underscoring the critical connection between maternal well-being and child health and opening avenues for novel preventative strategies.
