WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - A new study revealed that Superstorm Sandy, one of the most powerful Atlantic storms, didn't just damage buildings and power lines but also might have affected babies who were still in the womb when it hit.
When the storm struck New York City in October 2012, it flooded large parts of Manhattan, leaving millions without power. The storm was followed by a period of heat waves nearing 100 degrees. For pregnant women at the time, this combination of extreme heat and storm-related stress may have left lasting effects on their babies' brain development.
Published in the peer-reviewed journal PLOS One, the study led by researchers from Queens College, City University of New York, studied 34 children who were approximately 8 years old and their mothers were pregnant during the storm. Brain scans showed that the children had changes in a part of the brain called the basal ganglia, which helps control emotions and movement.
These changes were stronger in children whose mothers had also experienced very hot temperatures, which might have been around 95 degrees Fahrenheit or higher, during their pregnancy. The researchers noted that heat waves during that period in addition to the storm made the situation worse.
One researcher, Dr. Yoko Nomura, explained that the time before birth is a very sensitive period, especially for brain development. Even small amounts of stress during pregnancy can have big effects on how a baby's brain grows.
The changes in the brain may be a way for the child to adapt to stress, but they could also be linked to emotional or behavioral problems, like depression or autism, the researchers added.
'We tend to focus things on the child's outcome, which is important, but to keep the child healthy, the mother has to be healthy, too,' Jennifer Barkin, a professor at Mercer University School of Medicine in Macon, said to Gizmodo. 'Because when Mom's struggling, the family's going to struggle.'
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