  What is the influence of chronic maternal prenatal stress (PS) on fetal iron
homeostasis? In a prospective case-control study in 164 pregnant women, we show
that cord blood transferrin saturation is lower in male stressed neonates. The
total effect of PS exposure on fetal ferritin revealed a decrease of 15.4%
compared with controls. Electrocardiogram-based Fetal Stress Index (FSI)
identified affected fetuses non-invasively during the third trimester of
gestation. FSI-based timely detection of fetuses affected by PS can support
early individualized iron supplementation and neurodevelopmental follow-up to
prevent long-term sequelae due to PS-exacerbated impairment of the iron
homeostasis.
