Living near green spaces can reduce long-term stress during pregnancy, Israeli-led study finds

Exposure to nature during pregnancy may offer a buffer against chronic stress, according to a new study led by researchers from Bar-Ilan University's Azrieli Faculty of Medicine. The research indicates that pregnant women living in greener neighborhoods may experience lower levels of key stress hormones.

The study, published in Environmental Epidemiology, analyzed hair samples from 385 pregnant women. Hair hormone analysis provides a long-term stress profile, unlike blood or saliva tests. Researchers found that greater exposure to residential greenery during the second trimester of pregnancy was associated with significantly lower concentrations of cortisol and cortisone in the women's hair.

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Our findings suggest that exposure to greenery around the home is associated with reduced chronic stress hormones during pregnancy.

These stress hormones, if elevated long-term during pregnancy, can negatively affect both the mother and the developing fetus. The findings remained consistent across various measures of greenery and distances from participants' homes. This research builds upon previous work by the same team, which had previously found an association between residential greenness and lower hair cortisol levels in the first trimester of pregnancy.

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This is important because prolonged exposure to elevated stress hormones can negatively affect both the mother and the developing fetus.