EDITOR’ S PICK
When these babies entered toddlerhood, exploring a room with a balance beam or having a stranger roll a ball to them became frightening for them. Instead of engaging them, they stood frozen by the wall or ran back to their mothers. By the time the children were between 6 and 9, MRI scans revealed that the children’ s amygdala, the section of the brain associated with the human response to frightening stimuli, were larger than normal. The study underscores the importance of keeping both a healthy body and mind for expecting mothers. Everyone, especially pregnant women, have stress in their lives. But it’ s critical to keep stress at a moderate level. We’ ve culled some tips from“ Twenty Lessons for Managing Worry, Anxiety, and Fear” by Mark A. Reinecke, Ph. D., to help you manage stress during pregnancy.
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