How a mother's lifetime stress may shape a child’s asthma risk
Official title: Associations among maternal lifetime psychosocial stress, prenatal systemic and placental oxidative stress mixtures, and child asthma
Funded at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai · NIH-11296939 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A mom’s long-term stress, including past traumas, could influence her baby’s growing lungs and later risk of asthma.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | April 20, 2023 |
| Project end | February 28, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $662,587 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HL164775-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11296939 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Expectant mothers with a history of lifetime psychosocial stress and minority populations in urban settings.
✕Less likely to help
Pregnant individuals without significant lifelong stress exposure or those not planning to have children in the study could have minimal direct benefit.
What this research studies
This project follows mothers and their children to see if chronic stress and related oxidative stress in the placenta affect lung development and asthma risk in kids. Researchers will examine placental and systemic stress markers, focusing on antioxidant defenses and mitochondrial function, to understand biological pathways that connect maternal experiences to child health. The study is conducted with a diverse urban population and uses non-invasive measurements and biological samples from mothers and newborns to explore potential preventive targets.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, findings could inform strategies to reduce asthma risk in children by addressing maternal stress and oxidative pathways.
How similar studies have gone: Prior research suggests a link between maternal stress, placental biology, and offspring respiratory outcomes, but findings are variable and mechanistic links are being clarified.
Where this research is happening
-
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Carroll, Kecia Nicole — Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
- Study coordinator: Carroll, Kecia Nicole
Related research
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How maternal stress and oxidative stress affect child asthma risk
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.