SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS RADIO) – New studies out of UCSF are teaching women how to put an end to transgenerational trauma from the womb to pregnancy.
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Dr. Nicki Bush, professor of Development and Behavioral Health and professor of Psychiatry and Pediatrics at UCSF, told KCBS Radio's "As Prescribed" that stress while pregnant can lead to a plethora of health issues down the road, evening manifesting in generational trauma when the child grows up and has children of their own.
"We're only recently beginning to understand that the social experiences that women have while pregnant can affect the development of the baby inside their uterus in ways that have long-standing impacts on those offspring, in terms of their birth outcomes, their mental and physical health trajectories earlier in life and potentially for their lifetimes," Bush said.
However, women are not destined to have this fate. Research out of UCSF has found that there are people who have dealt with longstanding adversities, but end up giving birth to healthy children. "Things such as a strong knowledge about development or a capacity to be a warm and sensitive caregiver can completely buffer children from that intergenerational stress," Bush explained.
According to a new study, intervention during pregnancy can also help to alleviate generational trauma. "We did a mindfulness-based stress reduction and wellness promotion group-based classes, pretty low cost and fun for the women," Bush said. "We did it for eight weeks and it showed this beautiful reduction in depression and stress for pregnant women that was sustained for eight years after their baby was born."
Not only did the women thrive following the classes, but their babies showed increased physiological, biological and behavioral health — a two generation impact from a low cost, enjoyable intervention.
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