UK Wedding News
01/05/2014
Stress during pregnancy has been linked to premature birth, low birth weight and increased developmental and behavioural problems in the child as a toddler and adolescent, as well as later mental health problems in the mother; while a high level of anxiety during pregnancy is linked with postnatal depression, with an increased risk of developing depression in later life.
It has previously been said that yoga can help to reduce stress levels in mothers, but this is the first time it has been tested in a research setting.
The research, conducted by the University of Manchester and published in the journal Depression and Anxiety, found that women who attended a yoga class a week for eight weeks, had decreased anxiety levels. This was compared to a controlled group of women who received normal antenatal treatment.
The study, funded by baby charity Tommy's, looked at 59 women who were pregnant for the first time and asked them to self-report their emotional state. They were split into several groups. Some of which took part in a yoga session a week for eight weeks, while the others had normal pre-natal treatment. The findings revealed that just a single session of yoga reduced self-reported anxiety by a third of women and stress hormone levels by 14%. Similar findings were also made at both the first – and final – session of the eight-week intervention.
Dr James Newham, who carried out the research as a PhD student at Tommy's Maternal and Fetal Health Research Centre at the University of Manchester, and is now a research associate at Newcastle University, explained: "It is surprising this has never been looked at before, we have long believed that it works but no research had been done to back up the theory.
"We have now gone some way to prove that it can help. It was not a small effect either. This has the potential to really help mothers who are feeling anxious about their pregnancy."
Professor John Aplin, one of the senior investigators in Manchester, added: "Yoga incorporates relaxation and breathing techniques with postures that can be adapted for pregnant women. Many women opt to practise yoga during their pregnancy but this is the first worldwide report on the effects of both single and multiple sessions of antenatal yoga on mood.
"The results confirm what many who take part in yoga have suspected for a long time. There is also evidence yoga can reduce the need for pain relief during birth and the likelihood for delivery by emergency caesarean section."
(JP/MH)
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Yoga Could Reduce Stress In Pregnant Women
Yoga can help reduce the risk of anxiety and depression in pregnant women, a new study has claimed.Stress during pregnancy has been linked to premature birth, low birth weight and increased developmental and behavioural problems in the child as a toddler and adolescent, as well as later mental health problems in the mother; while a high level of anxiety during pregnancy is linked with postnatal depression, with an increased risk of developing depression in later life.
It has previously been said that yoga can help to reduce stress levels in mothers, but this is the first time it has been tested in a research setting.
The research, conducted by the University of Manchester and published in the journal Depression and Anxiety, found that women who attended a yoga class a week for eight weeks, had decreased anxiety levels. This was compared to a controlled group of women who received normal antenatal treatment.
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The study, funded by baby charity Tommy's, looked at 59 women who were pregnant for the first time and asked them to self-report their emotional state. They were split into several groups. Some of which took part in a yoga session a week for eight weeks, while the others had normal pre-natal treatment. The findings revealed that just a single session of yoga reduced self-reported anxiety by a third of women and stress hormone levels by 14%. Similar findings were also made at both the first – and final – session of the eight-week intervention.
Dr James Newham, who carried out the research as a PhD student at Tommy's Maternal and Fetal Health Research Centre at the University of Manchester, and is now a research associate at Newcastle University, explained: "It is surprising this has never been looked at before, we have long believed that it works but no research had been done to back up the theory.
"We have now gone some way to prove that it can help. It was not a small effect either. This has the potential to really help mothers who are feeling anxious about their pregnancy."
Professor John Aplin, one of the senior investigators in Manchester, added: "Yoga incorporates relaxation and breathing techniques with postures that can be adapted for pregnant women. Many women opt to practise yoga during their pregnancy but this is the first worldwide report on the effects of both single and multiple sessions of antenatal yoga on mood.
"The results confirm what many who take part in yoga have suspected for a long time. There is also evidence yoga can reduce the need for pain relief during birth and the likelihood for delivery by emergency caesarean section."
(JP/MH)
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