--- title: Does a mother's menstrual cycle affect how she responds to her child's illness? description: Yes, mothers about to have or having their period were more likely to bring their children to the doctor than other women. However, their children were actual url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/the-relationship-between-a-mother-s-menstrual-status-and-her-response-to-illness-1975/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Does a mother's menstrual cycle affect how she responds to her child's illness? Survey study, 1975 # Does a mother's menstrual cycle affect how she responds to her child's illness? Yes, mothers about to have or having their period were more likely to bring their children to the doctor than other women. However, their children were actually less sick than the children brought by other mothers. Early or limited evidence 140 women randomly selected from over 1500 who attended a pediatric clinic ## What they did Researchers randomly selected 140 women from over 1500 who brought children to a pediatric clinic in a 1-month period. They interviewed these women to learn whether their position in the menstrual cycle affected whether they sought medical care for their child. ## What they found Women about to have or having their period were more likely to bring their children to the doctor than women between periods. However, children brought by women with upcoming or active periods were considered less sick, had different types of illnesses, and had been sick for shorter periods than children brought by other women. ## What it means for you A woman's menstrual cycle may influence when she seeks medical care for her child, but this appears to reflect different motivations or awareness rather than actual differences in how sick the children are. The study only looked at one time point and one clinic. 140 women interviewed 1500+ women screened ## About the study Original title The relationship between a mother's menstrual status and her response to illness in her child Authors Tuch RH Journal Psychosomatic medicine Year 1975 Study design Survey study Participants 1,500 What was tested None Read the paper [doi.org/10.1097/00006842-197509000-00002](https://doi.org/10.1097/00006842-197509000-00002) ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Menstrual cycle and mood](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-cycle-mood/)[Relationships and partners](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-relationships/) Research tells you what helps on average. Niyora helps on the day it hits. Calm down, see it another way, and decide what to say, with a PMS and PMDD app built by a doctor. ## Related studies Survey study, 2026 Does stress affect premenstrual symptoms in female athletes, and can coping strategies help? Study, 2026 What coping strategies help women manage PMS symptoms? Survey study, 2026 Is academic stress linked to PMS severity in university students? Study, 2026 What are premenstrual syndrome and premenstrual dysphoric disorder? Systematic review, 2026 What life experiences and personal factors influence how severe PMS is? Survey study, 2026 Is self-compassion linked to PMS symptoms? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗