Stress and Pregnancy: Consequences on Postnatal Maturation of the Kidney

Maternal stress during pregnancy can have adverse effects on the development of the fetus and can result in an increased risk of cardiovascular disease later in life. Our studies examined the underlying mechanisms and explore interventions that may prevent these adverse adaptations. We showed that maternal stress even for a short two-day period during pregnancy does not have favourable outcomes for the offspring, causing changes in renal development, which led to the ‘programming’ of hypertension during adulthood. Therefore, it is important to identify those at risk and to ascertain potential early therapeutic targets to prevent the progression to disease later on.