Even in the womb, where all oxygen is provided by the parental placenta, fetuses can-and do-yawn. More yawns during observation were associated with a lower weight at birth-potentially indicating mild ...

Babies who yawn more in the womb tend to be born at lower weights, suggesting fetal yawning may signal early growth or stress.

Maternal stress, encompassing physical, emotional, and psychological distress, remains a widespread yet underestimated risk during pregnancy. Previous research has linked stress to increased cortisol ...

Expert Rev Endocrinol Metab. 2012;7(4):445-459. In a recent study, [148] the authors evaluated the consequences of fetal exposure to maternal cortisol early in pregnancy on the volumes of the amygdala ...