Stress and reproduction: Introduction to the special section

This special section on stress and reproduction is devoted to an emerging f rontier in interdisciplinary research that merits the attention of health p sychologists. The majority of the studies concern the role of stress and em otion on birth outcomes such as low birth weight, fetal growth and preterm delivery, or mechanisms underlying these findings. The implications of this research extend from maternal and infant health to life-span development a nd adult health and mortality.