WOMEN in the early stages of pregnancy are affected more by earthquakes than
those about to give birth.
Laura Glynn from the University of California, Irvine, and her colleagues
looked at the effect of the 1994 Northridge earthquake on 40 expectant mothers.
Those who felt the quake in their first trimester said the experience was
鈥渆xtremely stressful鈥� and gave birth after an average of 38 weeks鈥攁bout
two weeks early. But women who were in the third trimester when the quake struck
stayed pregnant a week longer. (American Journal of Obstetrics and
Gynecology, vol 184, p 637)
The researchers say this is the first study to show that the timing of stress
is important in its impact on gestational length, which can have health impacts
on babies.
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