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The Pre- and Perinatal Origins of Childhood and Adult Diseases and Personality Disorders

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Handbook of Prenatal and Perinatal Psychology

Abstract

This chapter explores the effects of psychological stress, anxiety, and depression as well as other factors in the pre- and perinatal period on the unborn and newborn child. Particular attention is given to the effects of stress on the organization of the fetal brain, neurohormones, the immune system, personality evolution, our capacities to give and receive love, as well as the development of many childhood and adult diseases. Maternal feelings and mood states are linked to hormones and neurotransmitters that travel through the bloodstream and across the placenta to the develo** brain of the unborn. Prolonged exposure to stress hormones, including adrenaline and cortisol, primes the growing brain to react in fight and flight mode – even when inappropriate – throughout life. Maternal emphasis on joy and love, on the other hand, bathes the growing brain in “feel-good” endorphins and neurohormones such as oxytocin, promoting a lifelong sense of well-being. This subject will be of interest to health providers such as midwives, doulas, nurses, and doctors as well as psychotherapists who wish to gain a deeper understanding of human development and integrate this knowledge into their practices.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Associate Editor, Journal of Pre and Perinatal Psychology and Health (JOPPPAH), Stratford, Canada

    Thomas R. Verny

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  1. Thomas R. Verny
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Art Therapy & Art Analysis, HfWU Nuertingen-Geislingen University, Köln, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany

    Klaus Evertz

  2. St. Elizabeth University Bratislava, Dossenheim, Baden-Württemberg, Germany

    Ludwig Janus

  3. Gynecology, Obstetrics and Psychotherapy, Birkenfeld, Baden-Württemberg, Germany

    Rupert Linder

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Verny, T.R. (2021). The Pre- and Perinatal Origins of Childhood and Adult Diseases and Personality Disorders. In: Evertz, K., Janus, L., Linder, R. (eds) Handbook of Prenatal and Perinatal Psychology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-41716-1_5

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