A Literature Review: The Effects of Maternal Stress in Pregnancy on Sensory Integration in Children

This article reviews existing research on how a pregnant mother’s mental
health status, stress level, and temperament affect her unborn baby’s sensory processing abilities. After a brief
introduction to sensory integration and sensory processing, research on how scientists learn about the fetus’
developing nervous system by observing his/her behavior is presented. Maternal temperament and increased
stress during pregnancy often impact temperament and developmental delay. This appears to negatively impact
the unborn baby’s physical, cognitive, self-regulation, and sensory processing abilities. An unhealthy maternal
mental state negatively affects the unborn child’s development. This stress during pregnancy appears to
negatively impact the baby’s cognitive and physical development and self-regulation abilities. KEY WORDS:
Maternal stress, prenatal, sensory integration, temperament.