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Avendano S, Moirangthem S, Taflet M, Heude B, Koehl M, van der Waerden J, Downes N. Prenatal maternal negative life events associated with child emotional and behavioral problems in the French EDEN cohort. J Affect Disord 2024; 356:224-232. [PMID: 38608762 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2024.04.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2023] [Revised: 03/25/2024] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Prenatal negative life events (NLEs) have been linked to adverse health outcomes in children. However, few studies examine this relationship during late childhood using trajectory analyses. Additionally, the impact of specific NLEs domains on child development remains unclear. This study aims to longitudinally explore the association between NLEs (cumulative score and specific NLEs domains) and child outcomes from birth to late childhood. METHODS 1135 mother-child pairs from the French EDEN cohort were followed from 24 to 28 weeks of pregnancy up to 11 years of age. Maternal self-reports of prenatal NLEs were collected immediately after birth, then analyzed as a cumulative score and by NLEs domain. Children's emotional and behavioral symptoms were assessed at 4 timepoints through the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. RESULTS Children of mothers exposed to ≥3 NLEs were more likely to follow trajectories of high levels of peer relationship problems (aOR [95 % CI] = 5.69 [1.74-18.69]), emotional symptoms (aOR [95 % CI] = 3.05 [1.08-8.63]), and conduct problems (aOR [95 %] = 3.53 [1.20-10.42]). Among the domains of NLEs, only events related to housing, finance, and living conditions were significantly associated with high emotional and behavioral difficulties trajectories (aOR [95%CI] = 2.71[1.26-5.81]). LIMITATIONS Potential attrition bias due to a higher dropout rate for children experiencing early indications of emotional and behavioral difficulties. CONCLUSION Findings support the relationship between prenatal NLEs and child outcomes, underscoring the importance of assessing prenatal stressors across life domains to identify mothers who might be in need of support.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Avendano
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, Institut Pierre Louis d'Epidémiologie et de Santé Publique, Social Epidemiology Research Team, F 75012 Paris, France
| | - Simi Moirangthem
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, Institut Pierre Louis d'Epidémiologie et de Santé Publique, Social Epidemiology Research Team, F 75012 Paris, France
| | - Muriel Taflet
- Université Paris Cité and Université Sorbonne Paris Nord, Inserm, INRAE, Center for Research in Epidemiology and StatisticS (CRESS), F 75004 Paris, France
| | - Barbara Heude
- Université Paris Cité and Université Sorbonne Paris Nord, Inserm, INRAE, Center for Research in Epidemiology and StatisticS (CRESS), F 75004 Paris, France
| | - Muriel Koehl
- Universtié Bordeaux, INSERM, Neurocentre Magendie, U1215, Neurogenesis and Pathophysiology Group, 33000 Bordeaux, France
| | - Judith van der Waerden
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, Institut Pierre Louis d'Epidémiologie et de Santé Publique, Social Epidemiology Research Team, F 75012 Paris, France.
| | - Naomi Downes
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, Institut Pierre Louis d'Epidémiologie et de Santé Publique, Social Epidemiology Research Team, F 75012 Paris, France
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Graf S, Schechter DS. The Impact of Maternal Interpersonal Violent Trauma and Related Psychopathology on Child Outcomes and Intergenerational Transmission. Curr Psychiatry Rep 2024; 26:166-175. [PMID: 38427205 PMCID: PMC10978628 DOI: 10.1007/s11920-024-01491-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW This review aims to outline some consequences that maternal history of trauma with and without related psychopathology, such as posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS), can have on their children's development and functioning. It then addresses mechanisms through which intergenerational transmission of interpersonal violence (IPV) and related psychopathology may occur. RECENT FINDINGS Findings include the effects of maternal IPV experience and related psychopathology on child social-emotional and biologically-based outcomes. This includes increased developmental disturbances and child psychopathology, as well as physiological factors. Secondly, the review focuses on psychobiological mechanisms by which maternal experience of IPV and related psychopathology likely trigger intergenerational effects. Maternal IPV and related psychopathology can have a negative impact on several areas of their child's life including development, interactive behavior, psychopathology, and physiology. This transmission may partially be due to fetal and perinatal processes, genetic and epigenetic effects, and interactions with their parents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shannen Graf
- Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), SUPEA-Unité de recherche, Avenue d'Echallens 9, 1004, Lausanne, Switzerland.
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Daniel S Schechter
- Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), SUPEA-Unité de recherche, Avenue d'Echallens 9, 1004, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
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Buthmann JL, Miller JG, Gotlib IH. Maternal-prenatal stress and depression predict infant temperament during the COVID-19 pandemic. Dev Psychopathol 2024; 36:161-169. [PMID: 36345652 PMCID: PMC10164837 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579422001055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Researchers have begun to examine the psychological toll of the ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic. Data are now emerging indicating that there may be long-term adverse effects of the pandemic on new mothers and on children born during this period. In a longitudinal study of maternal mental health and child emotional development during the pandemic, we conducted online assessments of a cohort of women at two time points: when they were pregnant at the beginning of the surge of the pandemic in the United States (baseline, N = 725), and approximately 1 year postpartum (follow-up, N = 296), examining prenatal and postnatal maternal mental health, prenatal pandemic-related stress, and infant temperament. Pandemic-related stress at baseline was associated with concurrent depressive symptoms and infant negative affect at follow-up. Baseline maternal depressive symptoms were associated with follow-up depressive symptoms, which in turn were also associated with infant negative affect. Pandemic-related stress during pregnancy may have enduring effects on infant temperament. These findings have important implications for our understanding of the emotional development of children who were in utero during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jonas G Miller
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Ian H Gotlib
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
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Zielenbach M, Ekpe E, Oot A, Yeh C, Yee LM. Association of Antenatal Housing Instability with Perinatal Care Utilization and Outcomes. J Womens Health (Larchmt) 2024; 33:90-97. [PMID: 37944106 PMCID: PMC10794825 DOI: 10.1089/jwh.2023.0002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Social determinants of health are important contributors to maternal and child health outcomes. Limited existing research examines the relationship between housing instability during pregnancy and perinatal care utilization. Our objective was to evaluate whether antenatal housing instability is associated with differences in perinatal care utilization and outcomes. Materials and Methods: Participants who were surveyed during their postpartum hospitalization were considered to have experienced housing instability if they answered affirmatively to at least one of six screening items. The primary outcome was adequacy of prenatal care measured by the Adequacy of Prenatal Care Utilization index. Maternal, neonatal, and postpartum outcomes, including utilization and breastfeeding, were also collected as secondary outcomes. Multivariable logistic regression models were adjusted for sociodemographic and clinical covariates. Results: In this cohort (N = 490), 11.2% (N = 55) experienced housing instability during pregnancy. Participants with unstable housing were more likely to have inadequate prenatal care (17.3% vs. 3.9%; odds ratio [OR] 5.11, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.15-12.14, p < 0.001), but findings were not significant after adjustment (aOR 1.72, 95% CI 0.55-5.41, p = 0.35). Similarly, postpartum visit attendance was lower for individuals with unstable housing (79.6% vs. 91.2%), but there was no difference in the odds of the postpartum visit attendance after adjustment (OR 0.69, 95% CI 0.29-1.66, p = 0.14). Conclusions: There were no statistically significant association with the maternal, neonatal, and other postpartum secondary outcomes. Housing instability appears to be a risk marker that is related to other social determinants of health. Given the range of housing instability experiences, future research must account for specific types and degrees of housing instability and their potential perinatal consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Molly Zielenbach
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Olive View—UCLA Medical Center, David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California Los Angeles, Sylmar, California, USA
| | - Etoroabasi Ekpe
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Antoinette Oot
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, NYU Langone Health, New York, New York, USA
| | - Chen Yeh
- Biostatistics Collaboration Center, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Lynn M. Yee
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
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Dhaliwal SK, Dabelea D, Lee-Winn AE, Crume T, Wilkening G, Perng W. Maternal psychosocial stress during pregnancy and offspring neurobehavioral outcomes during early childhood in the Healthy Start Study. Ann Epidemiol 2023; 86:16-24.e3. [PMID: 37321280 DOI: 10.1016/j.annepidem.2023.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2023] [Revised: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE We evaluate singular and combined effects of prenatal maternal depression and stress on early childhood neurobehavioral outcomes among 536 mother-child pairs. METHODS First, we used multivariable linear regression to investigate associations of women's Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) score and Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) score, separately, with offspring Child Behavior Checklist score. Next, to assess the combined effect of EPDS and PSS, we dichotomized each score at the fourth versus first to third quartiles and created a four-level variable comprising combinations of high and low depression and stress. Across all models, we accounted for household chaos, hubbub, and order scale (CHAOS) score, an indicator of the household environment associated with offspring behavioral outcomes. RESULTS Each one-unit increment in maternal EPDS and PSS scores corresponded with 0.75 (95% CI: 0.53, 0.96) and 0.72 (95% CI: 0.48, 0.95) units higher offspring total problems T-score, respectively. Children of women with high EPDS and PSS had highest T-scores for total problems. All associations remained materially unchanged after adjustment for CHAOS score. CONCLUSIONS Prenatal maternal depression and stress is associated with worse neurobehavioral outcomes among offspring, with the most unfavorable outcomes among children whose mothers had high scores for both EPDS and PSS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Satvinder K Dhaliwal
- Lifecourse Epidemiology of Adiposity and Diabetes (LEAD) Center, University of Colorado Denver Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO; Department of Epidemiology, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Denver Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO.
| | - Dana Dabelea
- Lifecourse Epidemiology of Adiposity and Diabetes (LEAD) Center, University of Colorado Denver Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO; Department of Epidemiology, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Denver Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO; Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Colorado Denver Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO
| | - Angela E Lee-Winn
- Department of Epidemiology, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Denver Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO
| | - Tessa Crume
- Department of Epidemiology, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Denver Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO
| | - Greta Wilkening
- Lifecourse Epidemiology of Adiposity and Diabetes (LEAD) Center, University of Colorado Denver Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO; Department or Neuropsychology, Colorado Children's Hospital, Aurora, CO
| | - Wei Perng
- Lifecourse Epidemiology of Adiposity and Diabetes (LEAD) Center, University of Colorado Denver Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO; Department of Epidemiology, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Denver Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO
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Khoury JE, Atkinson L, Jack S, Bennett T, Raha S, Duku E, Gonzalez A. Protocol for the COVID-19 Wellbeing and Stress Study: a longitudinal study of parent distress, biological stress and child biopsychosocial development during the pandemic and beyond. BMJ Open 2023; 13:e071926. [PMID: 37580092 PMCID: PMC10432660 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-071926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 08/16/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The COVID-19 pandemic has had a unique impact on the mental health and well-being of pregnant individuals and parents of young children. However, the impact of COVID-19-related stress during pregnancy on early child biopsychosocial development, remains unclear. The COVID-19 Wellbeing and Stress Study will: (1) investigate the impact of different forms of prenatal stress experienced during the pandemic (including objective hardship, perceived psychological distress and biological stress) on child stress biology, (2) examine the association between child stress biology and child developmental outcomes, (3) determine whether child stress biology acts as a mechanism linking prenatal stress to adverse child developmental outcomes and (4) assess whether gestational age at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic or child sex, moderate these associations. METHODS AND ANALYSES The COVID-19 Wellbeing and Stress Study is a prospective longitudinal study, consisting of six time points, spanning from pregnancy to 3 years postpartum. The study began in June 2020, consisting of 304 pregnant people from Ontario, Canada. This multimethod study is composed of questionnaires, biological samples, behavioural observations and developmental assessments ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This study was approved by the Hamilton Integrated Research Ethics Board (#11034) and the Mount Saint Vincent University Research Ethics Board (#2020-187, #2021-075, #2022-008). Findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed presentations and publications, community presentations, and electronic forums (social media, newsletters and website postings).
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer E Khoury
- Department of Psychology, Mount Saint Vincent University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Leslie Atkinson
- Department of Psychology, Toronto Metropolitan University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Susan Jack
- School of Nursing, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Teresa Bennett
- Psychiatry and Behavioural Neuroscience, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
- Offord Centre for Child Studies, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Sandeep Raha
- Department of Biochemistry & Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Eric Duku
- Offord Centre for Child Studies, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Andrea Gonzalez
- Psychiatry and Behavioural Neuroscience, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
- Offord Centre for Child Studies, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
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Fleck L, Fuchs A, Sele S, Moehler E, Koenig J, Resch F, Kaess M. Prenatal stress and child externalizing behavior: effects of maternal perceived stress and cortisol are moderated by child sex. Child Adolesc Psychiatry Ment Health 2023; 17:94. [PMID: 37550728 PMCID: PMC10408175 DOI: 10.1186/s13034-023-00639-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2023] [Accepted: 07/04/2023] [Indexed: 08/09/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Externalizing behavior problems are related to social maladjustment. Evidence indicates associations between prenatal stress and child behavioral outcomes. It remains unclear how psychological distress vs. biological correlates of stress (cortisol) differentially predict externalizing behavior, and how their effects might differ as a function of child sex. METHOD 108 pregnant women from the community collected salivary cortisol and reported their perceived stress during each trimester of pregnancy. At child age 9 years (M = 9.01, SD = 0.55), 70 mothers and children reported on child behavior. Structural equation modelling was used to analyze how cortisol levels and perceived stress during pregnancy predicted current child externalizing behavior, considering the moderating effect of child sex. RESULTS Perceived stress predicted higher externalizing behavior in boys (β = 0.42, p = 0.009) and lower externalizing behavior in girls (β = - 0.56, p = 0.014). Cortisol predicted lower externalizing behavior in boys (β = - 0.81, p < .001) and was not related to girls' externalizing behavior (β = 0.37, p = 0.200). DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION Prenatal stress affected externalizing behavior differently in girls vs. boys. These response patters in turn differed for indicators of psychological vs. biological maternal stress, encouraging an integrated approach. Findings indicate that perceived stress and cortisol may affect child development via different trajectories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonie Fleck
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Centre for Psychosocial Medicine, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Anna Fuchs
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Centre for Psychosocial Medicine, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Silvano Sele
- University Hospital of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Eva Moehler
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Saarland University Medical Center, Homburg, Germany
| | - Julian Koenig
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Franz Resch
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Centre for Psychosocial Medicine, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Michael Kaess
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Centre for Psychosocial Medicine, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.
- University Hospital of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
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Christensen GM, Marcus M, Vanker A, Eick SM, Malcolm-Smith S, Suglia SF, Chang HH, Zar HJ, Stein DJ, Hüls A. Joint Effects of Indoor Air Pollution and Maternal Psychosocial Factors During Pregnancy on Trajectories of Early Childhood Psychopathology. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2023:2023.04.07.23288289. [PMID: 37066323 PMCID: PMC10104216 DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.07.23288289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/18/2023]
Abstract
Background Prenatal indoor air pollution and maternal psychosocial factors have been associated with adverse psychopathology. We used environmental exposure mixture methodology to investigate joint effects of both exposure classes on child behavior trajectories. Methods For 360 children from the South African Drakenstein Child Health Study, we created trajectories of Child Behavior Checklist scores (24, 42, 60 months) using latent class linear mixed effects models. Indoor air pollutants and psychosocial factors were measured during pregnancy (2 nd trimester). After adjusting for confounding, single-exposure effects (per natural log-1 unit increase) were assessed using polytomous logistic regression models; joint effects using self-organizing maps (SOM), and principal component (PC) analysis. Results High externalizing trajectory was associated with increased particulate matter (PM 10 ) exposure (OR [95%-CI]: 1.25 [1.01,1.55]) and SOM exposure profile most associated with smoking (2.67 [1.14,6.27]). Medium internalizing trajectory was associated with increased emotional intimate partner violence (2.66 [1.17,5.57]), increasing trajectory with increased benzene (1.24 [1.02,1.51]) and toluene (1.21 [1.02,1.44]) and the PC most correlated with benzene and toluene (1.25 [1.02, 1.54]). Conclusions Prenatal exposure to environmental pollutants and psychosocial factors was associated with internalizing and externalizing child behavior trajectories. Understanding joint effects of adverse exposure mixtures will facilitate targeted interventions to prevent childhood psychopathology.
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Azar N, Booij L. DNA methylation as a mediator in the association between prenatal maternal stress and child mental health outcomes: Current state of knowledge. J Affect Disord 2022; 319:142-163. [PMID: 36113690 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2022.09.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2022] [Revised: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prenatal maternal stress is increasingly recognized as a risk factor for offspring mental health challenges. DNA methylation may be a mechanism, but few studies directly tested mediation. These few integrative studies are reviewed along with studies from three research areas: prenatal maternal stress and child mental health, prenatal maternal stress and child DNA methylation, and child mental health and DNA methylation. METHODS We conducted a narrative review of articles in each research area and the few published integrative studies to evaluate the state of knowledge. RESULTS Prenatal maternal stress was related to greater offspring internalizing and externalizing symptoms and to greater offspring peripheral DNA methylation of the NR3C1 gene. Youth mental health problems were also related to NR3C1 hypermethylation while epigenome-wide studies identified genes involved in nervous system development. Integrative studies focused on infant outcomes and did not detect significant mediation by DNA methylation though methodological considerations may partially explain these null results. LIMITATIONS Operationalization of prenatal maternal stress and child mental health varied greatly. The few published integrative studies did not report conclusive evidence of mediation by DNA methylation. CONCLUSIONS DNA methylation likely mediates the association between prenatal maternal stress and child mental health. This conclusion still needs to be tested in a larger number of integrative studies. Key empirical and statistical considerations for future research are discussed. Understanding the consequences of prenatal maternal stress and its pathways of influence will help prevention and intervention efforts and ultimately promote well-being for both mothers and children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naomi Azar
- Department of Psychology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, Quebec H4B 1R6, Canada; Sainte-Justine University Hospital Research Center, 3175 chemin de la Côte-Sainte-Catherine, Montreal, Quebec H3T 1C5, Canada
| | - Linda Booij
- Department of Psychology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, Quebec H4B 1R6, Canada; Sainte-Justine University Hospital Research Center, 3175 chemin de la Côte-Sainte-Catherine, Montreal, Quebec H3T 1C5, Canada; Department of Psychiatry and Addictology, Faculty of Medicine, Pavillon Roger-Gaudry, Université de Montréal, P.O. Box 6128, succursale Centre-ville, Montréal, Québec H3C 3J7, Canada.
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Somers JA, Luecken LJ. Prenatal Programming of Behavior Problems via Second-by-Second Infant Emotion Dynamics. Psychol Sci 2022; 33:2027-2039. [PMID: 36206269 PMCID: PMC10068505 DOI: 10.1177/09567976221116816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2022] [Accepted: 07/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Fetal adaptations to prenatal maternal stress may confer high risk for childhood behavior problems, potentially operating via dynamic fluctuations in infants' emotions during mother-infant interactions. These fluctuations over time may give rise to behavior problems. Among a sample of 210 low-income mothers of Mexican origin and their 24-week-old infants, dynamic structural equation modeling was used to examine whether within-infant second-by-second emotion processes were predicted by maternal prenatal stress and predicted behavior problems at 36 and 54 months. The mean level around which infant negative affect fluctuated was related to prenatal stress, but not to childhood behavior problems. The volatility in infant negative affect, reflecting greater ebb and flow in infant negative affect during playful interaction, was predicted by prenatal stress and predicted enduring behavior problems in childhood. Results highlight a potential child-driven pathway linking prenatal exposure with childhood behavior problems via infant negative emotional volatility.
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Rudd KL, Cheng SS, Cordeiro A, Coccia M, Karr CJ, LeWinn KZ, Mason WA, Trasande L, Nguyen RHN, Sathyanarayana S, Swan SH, Barrett ES, Bush NR. Associations Between Maternal Stressful Life Events and Perceived Distress during Pregnancy and Child Mental Health at Age 4. Res Child Adolesc Psychopathol 2022; 50:977-986. [PMID: 35258749 PMCID: PMC9395496 DOI: 10.1007/s10802-022-00911-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Accumulating evidence suggests that maternal exposure to objectively stressful events and subjective distress during pregnancy may have intergenerational impacts on children's mental health, yet evidence is limited. In a multisite longitudinal cohort (N = 454), we used multi-variable linear regression models to evaluate the predictive value of exposure to stressful events and perceived distress in pregnancy for children's internalizing problems, externalizing problems, and adaptive skills at age 4. We also explored two- and three-way interactions between stressful events, distress, and child sex. Both objective and subjective maternal stress independently predicted children's behavior, with more stressful events and higher distress predicting more internalizing and externalizing problems and worse adaptability; stress types did not significantly interact. There was some evidence that more stressful events predicted higher externalizing behaviors only for girls. Three-way interactions were not significant. The current findings highlight the importance of considering the type of stress measurement being used (e.g., counts of objective event exposure or subjective perceptions), suggest prenatal stress effects may be transdiagnostic, and meet calls for rigor and reproducibility by confirming these independent main effects in a relatively large group of families across multiple U.S. regions. Results point to adversity prevention having a two-generation impact and that pre- and postnatal family-focused intervention targets may help curb the rising rates of children's mental health problems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristen L. Rudd
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA USA
| | - Sylvia S. Cheng
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA USA
| | - Alana Cordeiro
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA USA
| | - Michael Coccia
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA USA
| | | | - Kaja Z. LeWinn
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA USA
- Weill Institute of Neuroscience, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA USA
| | - W. Alex Mason
- Department of Preventative Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN USA
| | - Leonardo Trasande
- Department of Pediatrics, New York University Langone Medical Center, New Yok, NY USA
- Departments of Population Health and Environmental Medicine, New York University, New York, NY USA
| | - Ruby H. N. Nguyen
- Department of Epidemiology and Community Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN USA
| | | | - Shanna H. Swan
- Department of Environmental Medicine & Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY USA
| | - Emily S. Barrett
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Occupational Health Sciences Institute, Rutgers School of Public Health, Piscataway, NJ USA
| | - Nicole R. Bush
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA USA
- Weill Institute of Neuroscience, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Francisco, CA San Francisco, USA
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Dhaliwal SK, Dabelea D, Lee-Winn AE, Glueck DH, Wilkening G, Perng W. Characterization of Maternal Psychosocial Stress During Pregnancy: The Healthy Start Study. WOMEN'S HEALTH REPORTS 2022; 3:698-708. [PMID: 36147836 PMCID: PMC9436384 DOI: 10.1089/whr.2022.0011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Objective: To capture multidimensional maternal psychosocial stress using responses from the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and Cohen's Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) administered during pregnancy, and to identify sociodemographic, biological, and health behavioral correlates of the stress domains. Methods: Using data from 1,079 pregnant women, we implemented principal component analysis on EPDS and PSS responses and retained factors based on the Scree plot and Eigenvalues >1. We then used linear regression to identify perinatal correlates of each domain. Results: We identified three stress domains: “Feeling Overwhelmed,” “Anhedonia,” and “Lack of Control,” which accounted for 10.6% of variance in questionnaire responses. In multivariable analyses, household income ≤$70,000 (β = 0.21 confidence interval [95% CI: 0.05–0.39]), primiparity (0.36 [0.02–0.71]), inadequate (0.21 [0.04–0.39]) or excessive gestational weight gain (0.27 [0.11–0.42]), and Healthy Eating Index (HEI) score ≤57 (0.14 [0.00–0.28]) were associated with Feeling Overwhelmed. Older age (0.02 [0.00–0.03] per 1-year), Hispanic ethnicity (0.19 [0.00–0.38]), and HEI score ≤57 (0.15 [0.02–0.28]) were associated with Anhedonia. Non-Hispanic Black race/ethnicity (0.37 [0.10–0.63]), not having graduated from college (0.16 [−0.02 to 0.35]), having a partner born outside the United States (0.17 [−0.02 to 0.37]), household size of ≥5 persons (0.21 [−0.02 to 0.37]), receiving public assistance (0.18 [−0.02 to 0.37]), and prenatal smoking (0.32 [0.05–0.59]) were associated with Lack of Control. Conclusions: Three domains of maternal psychosocial stress during pregnancy (Feeling Overwhelmed, Anhedonia, and Lack of Control) were differentially related to sociodemographic, biological, and health behavioral characteristics that may be targets for interventions to ameliorate stress in pregnant women. Clinical Trial Registry : The Healthy Start study is registered as an observational study at clinicaltrials.gov (NCT #002273297).
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Affiliation(s)
- Satvinder K. Dhaliwal
- Lifecourse Epidemiology of Adiposity and Diabetes (LEAD) Center, University of Colorado Denver Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Denver Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Dana Dabelea
- Lifecourse Epidemiology of Adiposity and Diabetes (LEAD) Center, University of Colorado Denver Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Denver Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Colorado Denver Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Angela E. Lee-Winn
- Department of Epidemiology, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Denver Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Deborah H. Glueck
- Lifecourse Epidemiology of Adiposity and Diabetes (LEAD) Center, University of Colorado Denver Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Denver Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Colorado Denver Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Greta Wilkening
- Lifecourse Epidemiology of Adiposity and Diabetes (LEAD) Center, University of Colorado Denver Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
- Department or Neuropsychology, Colorado Children's Hospital, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Wei Perng
- Lifecourse Epidemiology of Adiposity and Diabetes (LEAD) Center, University of Colorado Denver Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Denver Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
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13
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Huang R, Melton P, Burton M, Beilin L, Clarke-Harris R, Cook E, Godfrey K, Burdge G, Mori T, Anderson D, Rauschert S, Craig JM, Kobor M, MacIsaac J, Morin A, Oddy W, Pennell C, Holbrook J, Lillycrop K. Adiposity associated DNA methylation signatures in adolescents are related to leptin and perinatal factors. Epigenetics 2022; 17:819-836. [PMID: 33550919 PMCID: PMC9423832 DOI: 10.1080/15592294.2021.1876297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2020] [Revised: 12/04/2020] [Accepted: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 10/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Epigenetics links perinatal influences with later obesity. We identifed differentially methylated CpG (dmCpG) loci measured at 17 years associated with concurrent adiposity measures and examined whether these were associated with hsCRP, adipokines, and early life environmental factors. Genome-wide DNA methylation from 1192 Raine Study participants at 17 years, identified 29 dmCpGs (Bonferroni corrected p < 1.06E-07) associated with body mass index (BMI), 10 with waist circumference (WC) and 9 with subcutaneous fat thickness. DmCpGs within Ras Association (RalGDS/AF-6), Pleckstrin Homology Domains 1 (RAPH1), Musashi RNA-Binding Protein 2 (MSI2), and solute carrier family 25 member 10 (SLC25A10) are associated with both BMI and WC. Validation by pyrosequencing confirmed these associations and showed that MSI2 , SLC25A10 , and RAPH1 methylation was positively associated with serum leptin. These were also associated with the early environment; MSI2 methylation (β = 0.81, p = 0.0004) was associated with pregnancy maternal smoking, SLC25A10 (CpG2 β = 0.12, p = 0.002) with pre- and early pregnancy BMI, and RAPH1 (β = -1.49, p = 0.036) with gestational weight gain. Adjusting for perinatal factors, methylation of the dmCpGs within MSI2, RAPH1, and SLC25A10 independently predicted BMI, accounting for 24% of variance. MSI2 methylation was additionally associated with BMI over time (17 years old β = 0.026, p = 0.0025; 20 years old β = 0.027, p = 0.0029) and between generations (mother β = 0.044, p = 7.5e-04). Overall findings suggest that DNA methylation in MSI2, RAPH1, and SLC25A10 in blood may be robust markers, mediating through early life factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- R.C. Huang
- Telethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia, Australia
| | - P.E. Melton
- Curtin/UWA Centre for Genetic Origins of Health and Disease, School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia
- School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, Australia
- Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Australia
| | - M.A. Burton
- School of Human Development and Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - L.J. Beilin
- Medical School, The University of Western Australia, Australia
| | - R Clarke-Harris
- School of Human Development and Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - E Cook
- School of Human Development and Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - K.M. Godfrey
- School of Human Development and Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - G.C. Burdge
- School of Human Development and Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - T.A. Mori
- Medical School, The University of Western Australia, Australia
| | - D Anderson
- Telethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia, Australia
| | - S. Rauschert
- Telethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia, Australia
| | - J. M. Craig
- Centre for Molecular and Medical Research, School of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
- Environmental & Genetic Epidemiology Research, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Royal Children’s Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - M.S. Kobor
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, VancouverCanada
| | - J.L. MacIsaac
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, VancouverCanada
| | - A.M. Morin
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, VancouverCanada
| | - W.H. Oddy
- Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Australia
| | - C.E. Pennell
- School of Medicine and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Newcastle, Australia
| | - J.D. Holbrook
- Curtin/UWA Centre for Genetic Origins of Health and Disease, School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia
| | - K.A. Lillycrop
- Curtin/UWA Centre for Genetic Origins of Health and Disease, School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia
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14
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Hampton S, Allison C, Aydin E, Baron-Cohen S, Holt R. Autistic mothers' perinatal well-being and parenting styles. AUTISM : THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND PRACTICE 2022; 26:1805-1820. [PMID: 35105233 PMCID: PMC9483197 DOI: 10.1177/13623613211065544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Autistic people may be at higher risk of perinatal mental health conditions, given that autism and mental health conditions commonly co-occur and that autistic people face additional stressors such as barriers to appropriate maternity care. This study explored self-reported stress, depression, anxiety and satisfaction with life during the third trimester of pregnancy (n = 27 autistic women; n = 25 non-autistic women), 2 to 3 months after birth (n = 24 autistic women; n = 26 non-autistic women) and 6 months after birth (n = 22 autistic women; n = 29 non-autistic women). Self-reported parenting confidence and parenting styles were explored at 6 months after birth. Autistic participants scored significantly higher than non-autistic participants on stress, depression and anxiety across the time-points as a whole, although there were no group differences for satisfaction with life. Anxiety scores significantly decreased over time for both groups. No group differences were found for parenting confidence nor parenting anxiety, nurturance, involvement or routine, although the autistic group scored lower on parenting discipline. The findings highlight the need for effective screening and support for perinatal mental health conditions for autistic people. Professionals working with autistic parents should be aware that autistic and non-autistic parents report being equally likely to engage in positive parenting behaviours such as nurturance and involvement.
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15
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Prenatal maternal transdiagnostic, RDoC-informed predictors of newborn neurobehavior: Differences by sex. Dev Psychopathol 2021; 33:1554-1565. [PMID: 33779535 PMCID: PMC8478962 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579420002266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
We examined whether Research Domain Criteria (RDoC)-informed measures of prenatal stress predicted newborn neurobehavior and whether these effects differed by newborn sex. Multilevel, prenatal markers of prenatal stress were obtained from 162 pregnant women. Markers of the Negative Valence System included physiological functioning (respiratory sinus arrhythmia [RSA] and electrodermal [EDA] reactivity to a speech task, hair cortisol), self-reported stress (state anxiety, pregnancy-specific anxiety, daily stress, childhood trauma, economic hardship, and family resources), and interviewer-rated stress (episodic stress, chronic stress). Markers of the Arousal/Regulatory System included physiological functioning (baseline RSA, RSA, and EDA responses to infant cries) and self-reported affect intensity, urgency, emotion regulation strategies, and dispositional mindfulness. Newborns' arousal and attention were assessed via the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) Network Neurobehavioral Scale. Path analyses showed that high maternal episodic and daily stress, low economic hardship, few emotion regulation strategies, and high baseline RSA predicted female newborns' low attention; maternal mindfulness predicted female newborns' high arousal. As for male newborns, high episodic stress predicted low arousal, and high pregnancy-specific anxiety predicted high attention. Findings suggest that RDoC-informed markers of prenatal stress could aid detection of variance in newborn neurobehavioral outcomes within hours after birth. Implications for intergenerational transmission of risk for psychopathology are discussed.
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16
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Ostlund B, Myruski S, Buss K, Pérez-Edgar KE. The centrality of temperament to the research domain criteria (RDoC): The earliest building blocks of psychopathology. Dev Psychopathol 2021; 33:1584-1598. [PMID: 34365985 PMCID: PMC10039756 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579421000511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
The research domain criteria (RDoC) is an innovative approach designed to explore dimensions of human behavior. The aim of this approach is to move beyond the limits of psychiatric categories in the hope of aligning the identification of psychological health and dysfunction with clinical neuroscience. Despite its contributions to adult psychopathology research, RDoC undervalues ontogenetic development, which circumscribes our understanding of the etiologies, trajectories, and maintaining mechanisms of psychopathology risk. In this paper, we argue that integrating temperament research into the RDoC framework will advance our understanding of the mechanistic origins of psychopathology beginning in infancy. In illustrating this approach, we propose the incorporation of core principles of temperament theories into a new "life span considerations" subsection as one option for infusing development into the RDoC matrix. In doing so, researchers and clinicians may ultimately have the tools necessary to support emotional development and reduce a young child's likelihood of psychological dysfunction beginning in the first years of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brendan Ostlund
- Department of Psychology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, US
| | - Sarah Myruski
- Department of Psychology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, US
| | - Kristin Buss
- Department of Psychology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, US
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, US
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17
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Crombie GK, Palliser HK, Shaw JC, Hodgson DM, Walker DW, Hirst JJ. Neurosteroid-based intervention using Ganaxolone and Emapunil for improving stress-induced myelination deficits and neurobehavioural disorders. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2021; 133:105423. [PMID: 34601389 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2021.105423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2021] [Revised: 09/11/2021] [Accepted: 09/19/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prenatal stress is associated with long-term disturbances in white matter development and behaviour in children, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and anxiety. Oligodendrocyte maturation and myelin formation is a tightly orchestrated process beginning during gestation, and therefore is very vulnerable to the effects of maternal prenatal stresses in mid-late pregnancy. The current study aimed to examine the effects of prenatal stress on components of the oligodendrocyte lineage to identify the key processes that are disrupted and to determine if postnatal therapies directed at ameliorating white matter deficits also improve behavioural outcomes. METHODS Pregnant guinea pig dams were exposed to control-handling or prenatal stress with strobe light exposure for 2hrs/day on gestational age (GA) 50, 55, 60 and 65, and allowed to spontaneously deliver ~GA70. Pups were administered oral ganaxolone (5 mg/kg/day in 45% cyclodextrin) or the TSPO agonist, emapunil (XBD173; 0.3 mg/kg/day in 1% tragacanth gum) or vehicle, on postnatal days (PND) 1-7. Behavioural outcomes were assessed using open field and elevated plus maze testing on PND7 and PND27. Hippocampal samples were collected at PND30 to assess markers of oligodendrocyte development through assessment of total oligodendrocytes (OLIG2) and mature cells (myelin basic protein; MBP), and total neurons (NeuN) by immunostaining. Real-time PCR was conducted on hippocampal regions to assess markers of the oligodendrocyte lineage, markers of neurogenesis and components of the neurosteroidogenesis pathway. Plasma samples were collected for steroid quantification of cortisol, allopregnanolone, progesterone and testosterone by ELISA. RESULTS Prenatal stress resulted in hyperactivity in male offspring, and anxiety-like behaviour in female offspring in the guinea pig at an age equivalent to late childhood. Postnatal ganaxolone and emapunil treatment after prenatal stress restored the behavioural phenotype to that of control in females only. The oligodendrocyte maturation lineage, translation of MBP mRNA-to-protein, and neurogenesis were disrupted in prenatally-stressed offspring, resulting in a decreased amount of mature myelin. Emapunil treatment restored mature myelin levels in both sexes, and reversed disruptions to the oligodendrocyte lineage in female offspring, an effect not seen with ganaxolone treatment. CONCLUSION The marked and persisting behavioural and white matter perturbations observed in a clinically relevant guinea pig model of prenatal stress highlights the need for postnatal interventions that increase myelin repair and improve long-term outcomes. The effectiveness of emapunil treatment in restoring female offspring behaviour, and promoting maturation of myelin indicates that early therapeutic interventions can reverse the damaging effects of major stressful events in pregnancy. Further studies optimising target mechanisms and dosing are warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabrielle K Crombie
- Mothers and Babies Research Centre, Hunter Medical Research Institute, Newcastle, NSW, Australia; School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, University of Newcastle, NSW, Australia.
| | - Hannah K Palliser
- Mothers and Babies Research Centre, Hunter Medical Research Institute, Newcastle, NSW, Australia; School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, University of Newcastle, NSW, Australia
| | - Julia C Shaw
- Mothers and Babies Research Centre, Hunter Medical Research Institute, Newcastle, NSW, Australia; School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, University of Newcastle, NSW, Australia
| | | | - David W Walker
- School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, VIC, Australia
| | - Jonathan J Hirst
- Mothers and Babies Research Centre, Hunter Medical Research Institute, Newcastle, NSW, Australia; School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, University of Newcastle, NSW, Australia
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18
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Mountain RV, Zhu Y, Pickett OR, Lussier AA, Goldstein JM, Roffman JL, Bidlack FB, Dunn EC. Association of Maternal Stress and Social Support During Pregnancy With Growth Marks in Children's Primary Tooth Enamel. JAMA Netw Open 2021; 4:e2129129. [PMID: 34751761 PMCID: PMC8579236 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.29129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Exposure to maternal psychosocial stressors during the prenatal and perinatal periods can have major long-term mental health consequences for children. However, valid and inexpensive biomarkers are currently unavailable to identify children who have been exposed to psychosocial stress and the buffers of stress exposure. OBJECTIVE To assess whether a growth mark in tooth enamel, the neonatal line, is associated with exposure to prenatal and perinatal maternal psychosocial factors. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This prospective cohort study used exfoliated primary canine teeth and epidemiological survey data from 70 children enrolled in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, a birth cohort based in Bristol, England. Exfoliated teeth were collected from children at 5 to 7 years of age. Data were collected from January 1, 1991, to December 31, 1998, and were analyzed from January 1, 2019, to August 10, 2021. EXPOSURES Four types of prenatal and perinatal maternal psychosocial factors were studied: stressful life events, psychopathological history, neighborhood disadvantage, and social support. Data were collected from mailed-in questionnaires completed during and shortly after pregnancy. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Neonatal line width measured within 3 portions of the tooth crown (the cuspal, middle, and innermost third) in exfoliated primary canines. RESULTS A total of 70 children (34 of 70 [48.7%] male; 63 of 67 [94.0%] White) were studied. Most children were born full term (57 [83.8%]) and to mothers of typical child-bearing age (60 [88.2%]). Neonatal lines were wider in the canines of children born to mothers who self-reported severe lifetime depression (β = 3.35; 95% CI, 1.48-5.23; P = .001), any lifetime psychiatric problems (β = 2.66; 95% CI, 0.92-4.41; P = .003), or elevated anxiety or depressive symptoms at 32 weeks' gestation (β = 2.29; 95% CI, 0.38-4.20; P = .02). By contrast, neonatal lines were narrower in children born to mothers who self-reported high social support shortly after birth (β = -2.04; 95% CI, -3.70 to -0.38; P = .02). The magnitude of these associations was large, up to 1.2 SD unit differences, and persisted after adjusting for other risk factors. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE In this cohort study, neonatal line width was associated with exposure to maternal perinatal psychosocial factors. Replication and validation of these findings can further evaluate teeth as possible new biomarkers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca V. Mountain
- Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental Genetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston
| | - Yiwen Zhu
- Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental Genetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Olivia R. Pickett
- Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental Genetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston
| | - Alexandre A. Lussier
- Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental Genetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston
| | - Jill M. Goldstein
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston
- Henry and Allison McCance Center for Brain Health, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston
- Innovation Center on Sex Differences in Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston
| | - Joshua L. Roffman
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston
| | - Felicitas B. Bidlack
- Forsyth Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts
- Department of Developmental Biology, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Erin C. Dunn
- Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental Genetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston
- Henry and Allison McCance Center for Brain Health, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston
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19
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Dario AB, Kamper SJ, Williams C, Straker L, O'Sullivan P, Schütze R, Smith A. Psychological distress in early childhood and the risk of adolescent spinal pain with impact. Eur J Pain 2021; 26:522-530. [PMID: 34695280 DOI: 10.1002/ejp.1878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Accepted: 10/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Spinal pain (SP), including neck and back pain, is common and often associated with poor mental health and reduced quality of life of adolescents. Contemporary understanding of SP favours a biopsychosocial approach, and emerging evidence suggests the stronger influence of psychological rather than other factors. OBJECTIVES We aimed to investigate if experiencing psychological distress in early childhood increases the risk of spinal pain with impact during adolescence. METHODS 1175 adolescents from a prospective cohort study (Raine Study Gen2) were included. Psychological distress was assessed at ages 2, 5, 8 and 10 using Child Behaviour Check List (CBCL). CBCL total and subscale scores (internalizing and externalizing symptoms) were converted to age-standardized scores and dichotomized according to t-scores (>60=high distress). Life-time spinal pain, including low back, mid back, or neck/shoulder, was measured at age 17. We were interested in adolescent SP with impact (care seeking, medication use, school absenteeism, daily activity interference, leisure activity interference) and defined cases as SP with impact (one or more) or greater impact (two or more) impacts. We investigated the longitudinal associations between childhood psychological distress and adolescent SP using univariate and multivariable logistic regression models. RESULTS Psychological distress in childhood increased the odds of adolescent SP with impact by 33% (OR 1.33; 95% CI 1.01-1.76), but not spinal pain with greater impact (OR 1.22; 95% 0.83-1.80). Internalizing symptoms were associated with SP with greater impact and externalizing symptoms with SP with impact after adjusting for a range of potential child and family confounders. CONCLUSION Psychological distress in childhood increases the risk of SP with impact in adolescence and may be a promising prevention target. SIGNIFICANCE Our findings provide evidence that psychological distress early in life is an independent risk factor for spinal pain with impact during adolescence. As psychological distress during childhood is potentially modifiable, it may be a promising target for research on the prevention of consequential spinal pain in adolescence. Identifying and addressing psychological distress in children may be an important component of best practice to reduce consequential spinal pain in adolescents.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Steven James Kamper
- Sydney School of Health Science, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.,Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District, Penrith, Australia.,School of Medicine and Public Health, Hunter Medical Research Institute, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, Australia
| | - Christopher Williams
- School of Medicine and Public Health, Hunter Medical Research Institute, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, Australia.,Centre for Pain, Health and Lifestyle, New Lambton Heights, Australia
| | - Leon Straker
- School of Physiotherapy and Exercise Science, Curtin University, Perth, Australia
| | - Peter O'Sullivan
- School of Physiotherapy and Exercise Science, Curtin University, Perth, Australia
| | - Robert Schütze
- School of Physiotherapy and Exercise Science, Curtin University, Perth, Australia
| | - Anne Smith
- School of Physiotherapy and Exercise Science, Curtin University, Perth, Australia
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20
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Ho TC, King LS. Mechanisms of neuroplasticity linking early adversity to depression: developmental considerations. Transl Psychiatry 2021; 11:517. [PMID: 34628465 PMCID: PMC8501358 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-021-01639-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2021] [Revised: 09/11/2021] [Accepted: 09/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Early exposure to psychosocial adversity is among the most potent predictors of depression. Because depression commonly emerges prior to adulthood, we must consider the fundamental principles of developmental neuroscience when examining how experiences of childhood adversity, including abuse and neglect, can lead to depression. Considering that both the environment and the brain are highly dynamic across the period spanning gestation through adolescence, the purpose of this review is to discuss and integrate stress-based models of depression that center developmental processes. We offer a general framework for understanding how psychosocial adversity in early life disrupts or calibrates the biobehavioral systems implicated in depression. Specifically, we propose that the sources and nature of the environmental input shaping the brain, and the mechanisms of neuroplasticity involved, change across development. We contend that the effects of adversity largely depend on the developmental stage of the organism. First, we summarize leading neurobiological models that focus on the effects of adversity on risk for mental disorders, including depression. In particular, we highlight models of allostatic load, acceleration maturation, dimensions of adversity, and sensitive or critical periods. Second, we expound on and review evidence for the formulation that distinct mechanisms of neuroplasticity are implicated depending on the timing of adverse experiences, and that inherent within certain windows of development are constraints on the sources and nature of these experiences. Finally, we consider other important facets of adverse experiences (e.g., environmental unpredictability, perceptions of one's experiences) before discussing promising research directions for the future of the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiffany C Ho
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.
| | - Lucy S King
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
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21
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Bräuner EV, Koch T, Juul A, Doherty DA, Hart R, Hickey M. Prenatal exposure to maternal stressful life events and earlier age at menarche: the Raine Study. Hum Reprod 2021; 36:1959-1969. [PMID: 33744952 DOI: 10.1093/humrep/deab039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2020] [Revised: 12/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
STUDY QUESTION Is there an association between prenatal exposure to stressful life events and age at menarche, and does childhood BMI mediate this association? SUMMARY ANSWER Girls exposed to prenatal stress had a slightly earlier age at menarche, but this association did not show a dose-response effect and was not mediated by childhood offspring BMI. WHAT IS ALREADY KNOWN Prenatal stress may impact on reproductive function in females including age at menarche, but human data are very limited. High childhood BMI is known to be associated with earlier age at menarche. Only one small study has measured the association between maternal stress and age at menarche and reported that childhood BMI mediated the association between maternal stress and earlier age at menarche. However, neither maternal stress nor age at menarche was prospectively recorded and the study was limited to 31 mother-daughter pairs. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION The Raine Study is a large prospective population-based pregnancy cohort study (n = 1414 mother-daughter pairs) continuously followed from prenatal life through to adolescence. In the present study, we examined the association between exposure to maternal stressful life events during early, late and total gestation and age at menarche in offspring using 753 mother-daughter pairs with complete case information. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS Mothers prospectively reported stressful life events during pregnancy at 18 and 34 weeks using a standardized 10-point questionnaire. Exact date of menarche was assessed using a purpose-designed questionnaire at 8, 10, 14 and 17 years of age. Complete information on exposure, outcome and confounding variables was obtained from 753 mothers-daughter pairs. Multivariate linear regression complete case analysis was used to examine associations between maternal stressful life event exposure and age at menarche. Potential selection bias was evaluated using multiple imputations (50 datasets). The mediating effects of offspring childhood BMI (ages 5, 8, or 10 years) on these associations were measured in separate sub-analyses. MAIN RESULTS AND ROLE OF CHANCE Most (580/753, 77%) daughters were exposed to at least one prenatal stressful life event. Exposure to maternal stressful life events during the entire pregnancy was associated with a non-linear earlier age at menarche. Exposure to one event and two or more psychological stressful events was associated with a 3.5 and 1.7-month earlier onset of puberty, respectively when compared to the reference group with no exposure maternal stressful life events. The estimates from multiple imputation with 50 datasets were comparable with complete case analysis confirming the existence of an underlying effect. No separate significant effects were observed for exposure during early or late gestation. The association between prenatal stressful events and age at menarche was not mediated by childhood BMI in the offspring. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION Stressful life events may have affected pregnant women in different ways and self-perceived maternal stress severity may have provided a more precise estimate of gestational psychological stress. The observed non-linear U-shape of the association between maternal psychological stress and age at menarche did not reflect a dose-response. This suggests that the first exposure to prenatal stress exerts a greater effect on fetal reproductive development. A potential mechanism is via dramatic initial activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis following the first stressful life event which is greater than that observed following subsequent exposure to two or more maternal stressful life events. Whilst we adjusted for a priori chosen confounders, we cannot exclude residual confounding or confounding by factors we did not include. Maternal age at menarche was not available so the effects of familial history/genetics could not be assessed. There was a large loss due to the number of girls with no information on date of menarche and missing confounder information implying risk of selection bias and multiple imputation analyses did not fully exclude this risk (similar direction but slightly weaker estimate magnitude). WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS Menarche is a sentinel reproductive event and earlier age at menarche carries implications for psychological, social and reproductive health and for long-term risk of common non-communicable diseases. Understanding the factors regulating age at menarche has extensive health implications. This is the first population-based cohort study in humans to demonstrate that prenatal psychological stress might directly modify age at menarche. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S) Dr. Bräuner and Trine Koch's salaries were supported by Doctor Sofus Carl Emil Friis and spouse Olga Doris Friis foundation, The Danish Cancer Society (Kræftens Bekæmpelse, RP15468, R204-A12636, Denmark) and The Danish Health Foundation (Helsefonden, F-22181-23, Denmark). Martha Hickey was funded by NHMRC Practitioner Fellowships. The funding bodies played no role in the design, collection, analysis, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript; or in the decision to submit the manuscript for publication. Dr. Hart has received personal fees in his function as the Medical Director of Fertility Specialists of Western Australia and received educational sponsorship grants from MSD, Merck-Serono and from Ferring Pharmaceuticals. Dr Hart has also received personal fees from Shareholders in Western IVF outside the submitted work. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER NA.
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Affiliation(s)
- E V Bräuner
- Department of Growth and Reproduction, Copenhagen University Hospital - Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.,The International Research and Research Training Centre in Endocrine Disruption of Male Reproduction and Child Health (EDMaRC), Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - T Koch
- Department of Growth and Reproduction, Copenhagen University Hospital - Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.,The International Research and Research Training Centre in Endocrine Disruption of Male Reproduction and Child Health (EDMaRC), Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - A Juul
- Department of Growth and Reproduction, Copenhagen University Hospital - Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.,The International Research and Research Training Centre in Endocrine Disruption of Male Reproduction and Child Health (EDMaRC), Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - D A Doherty
- Division of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - R Hart
- Division of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.,Fertility Specialists of Western Australia, Bethesda Hospital, Claremont, Western Australia, Australia
| | - M Hickey
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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McLaughlin C, Schutze R, Henley D, Pennell C, Straker L, Smith A. Prenatal and childhood stress exposure and the sex specific response to psychosocial stress in adulthood. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2021; 125:105109. [PMID: 33401051 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2020.105109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2020] [Revised: 12/07/2020] [Accepted: 12/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Early life stress exposures may cause dysregulation of the Hypothalamic Pituitary Adrenal (HPA)-axis and cortisol production, with timing and sex-specific effects. Studies examining the impact of early life stress on cortisol responses to stress have focused on severe trauma and have produced inconsistent results. The aim of this study was to investigate whether common early life stressors, experienced prenatally or throughout childhood and adolescence, play a role in the dysregulation of the HPA-axis in early adulthood. METHODS Exposures to common life stress events were examined prenatally and as longitudinal trajectories of stress exposure from birth to age 17 in males and females from Gen2 of the Raine Study. At age 18 years, 986 participants were assessed for their salivary cortisol response to a psychosocial stressor - the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST). RESULTS In males there was an association between high prenatal stress exposure at 18 weeks gestation and a heightened TSST response. We found evidence for sex-specific associations with increasing stress exposure during adolescence (the ascending trajectory) whereby males were more likely to be non-responders to the TSST and females were more likely to be responders. CONCLUSION Our results point to sex differences in how stress exposure in-utero and exposure increasing during adolescence may affect regulation of the HPA-axis later in life. However, overall common life stress events experienced in-utero, during childhood and adolescence show limited impact on the HPA-axis stress response in early adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carly McLaughlin
- School of Physiotherapy and Exercise Science, Curtin University, Perth, Australia.
| | - Robert Schutze
- School of Physiotherapy and Exercise Science, Curtin University, Perth, Australia
| | - David Henley
- Medical School, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia; Department of Endocrinology and Diabetes, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Perth, Australia
| | - Craig Pennell
- School of Medicine and Public Health, The University of Newcastle, Newcastle, Australia; Mothers and Babies Research Centre, Hunter Medical Research Institute, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Leon Straker
- School of Physiotherapy and Exercise Science, Curtin University, Perth, Australia
| | - Anne Smith
- School of Physiotherapy and Exercise Science, Curtin University, Perth, Australia
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Koch T, Doherty DA, Dickinson JE, Juul A, Hart R, Bräuner EV, Hickey M. In utero exposure to maternal stressful life events and risk of polycystic ovary syndrome in the offspring: The Raine Study. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2021; 125:105104. [PMID: 33352473 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2020.105104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2020] [Revised: 11/03/2020] [Accepted: 12/04/2020] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND PCOS is the most common endocrine disorder in reproductive age women. The origins of PCOS are unknown but experimental and limited human evidence suggests that greater prenatal exposure to androgens may predispose to PCOS. Experimental evidence suggests that maternal stressors may affect reproductive function in the offspring via changes in prenatal androgen exposure. In this present study, we aim to investigate whether maternal stressful life events during pregnancy are associated with polycystic ovary morphology (PCOM) or polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) in adolescent offspring. METHOD In a large population-based pregnancy cohort study (The Raine Study) continuously followed from prenatal life through to adolescence we examined the association between maternal stressful life events during pregnancy in both early and late gestation, and subsequent circulating concentrations of ovarian and adrenal androgens, PCOM and PCOS in the normal menstrual cycle of offspring age 14-16 years. Maternal stressful life events were prospectively recorded during pregnancy at 18 and 34 weeks using a 10-point questionnaire. Female offspring (n = 223) completed a questionnaire about their menstrual cycles, underwent a clinical examination for hirsutism (Ferriman-Gallwey score) and transabdominal pelvic ultrasound examination to determine ovarian morphology according to standardized criteria for classification of PCOM. Plasma samples were obtained at day 2-6 of the normal menstrual cycle for measurement of androgens. PCOM was defined according to the international consensus definition, 2003 and the evidence-based guideline for the assessment and management of PCOS, 2018. PCOS was diagnosed according to Rotterdam criteria and National Institute of Health (NIH) criteria. Multivariate linear and logistic regression analyses were used to examine the associations between maternal stressful life event exposure and ovarian morphology (PCOM), circulating ovarian and adrenal androgens (clinical and biochemical hyperandrogenism (hirsutism)) and presence of PCOS. RESULTS Of 223 recruited adolescent girls, 78 (35.9%) and 68 (31.3%) had PCOM by the 2003 and 2018 criteria respectively, while 66 (29.6%) and 37 (16.6%) had PCOS, using Rotterdam and NIH criteria, respectively. Most girls (141/223, 63.2%) were exposed to at least one stressful life event in early gestation and around half (121/223, 54.3%) were exposed to at least one stressful life event in late gestation. Maternal stressful life events in early gestation were associated with a statistically significant lower prevalence of PCOM when applying the 2003 criteria [adjusted odds ratio [aOR] and 95% confidence intervals (CI): 0.74 (95% CI: 0.55; 0.99)], and a similar association was detected when applying the 2018 PCOM criteria (aOR, 0.69, 95% CI: 0.50; 0.95)]. Maternal stressful life events in early gestation were also associated with lower circulating concentrations of testosterone (β = -0.05, 95% CI: -0.09; -0.004) and androstenedione (β = -0.05, 95% CI: -0.10; -0.002) in the offspring. No similar effects for PCOM or circulating androgens were detected in late gestation. No statistically significant associations between maternal stressful life events in early or late gestation with PCOS (neither Rotterdam nor NIH criteria) in adolescence were detected. The prospective collection of maternal stressful life events during both early and late gestation and direct measurement of PCOM, PCOS and circulating androgens in adolescence and key co-variates implies minimal possibility of recall, information bias and selection bias. CONCLUSION Maternal exposure to stressful life events in early gestation is associated with significantly reduced circulating ovarian and adrenal androgen concentrations in adolescence (testosterone and androstenedione), and an indication of fewer cases of polycystic ovary morphology (PCOM) defined by the 2003 international consensus definition and by the 2018 international evidence-based guideline, but has no effect on polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), diagnosed using either Rotterdam or NIH criteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Koch
- Department of Growth and Reproduction, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Denmark; The International Research and Research Training Centre in Endocrine Disruption of Male Reproduction and Child Health (EDMaRC), Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - D A Doherty
- Division of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - J E Dickinson
- Division of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - A Juul
- Department of Growth and Reproduction, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Denmark; The International Research and Research Training Centre in Endocrine Disruption of Male Reproduction and Child Health (EDMaRC), Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - R Hart
- Division of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia; Fertility Specialists of Western Australia, Bethesda Hospital, Claremont, Western Australia, Australia
| | - E V Bräuner
- Department of Growth and Reproduction, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Denmark; The International Research and Research Training Centre in Endocrine Disruption of Male Reproduction and Child Health (EDMaRC), Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - M Hickey
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
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Bräuner E, Koch T, Doherty D, Dickinson J, Juul A, Hart R, Hickey M. The association between in utero exposure to maternal psychological stress and female reproductive function in adolescence: A prospective cohort study. COMPREHENSIVE PSYCHONEUROENDOCRINOLOGY 2021; 5:100026. [PMID: 35754448 PMCID: PMC9216597 DOI: 10.1016/j.cpnec.2020.100026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2020] [Accepted: 12/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Method Results Conclusion Animal studies suggest reproductive function is influenced by maternal stress. Human evidence is sparse and inconsistent. We used a population-based pregnancy cohort of 228 mother female offspring. Exposure to maternal psychological stress in late gestation affects uterine volume and ovarian AFC.
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Affiliation(s)
- E.V. Bräuner
- Department of Growth and Reproduction, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
- The International Research and Research Training Centre in Endocrine Disruption of Male Reproduction and Child Health (EDMaRC), Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - T. Koch
- Department of Growth and Reproduction, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
- The International Research and Research Training Centre in Endocrine Disruption of Male Reproduction and Child Health (EDMaRC), Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - D.A. Doherty
- Division of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - J.E. Dickinson
- Division of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - A. Juul
- Department of Growth and Reproduction, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
- The International Research and Research Training Centre in Endocrine Disruption of Male Reproduction and Child Health (EDMaRC), Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - R. Hart
- Division of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
- Fertility Specialists of Western Australia, Bethesda Hospital, Claremont, Western Australia, Australia
| | - M. Hickey
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Corresponding author
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Crombie GK, Palliser HK, Shaw JC, Hodgson DM, Walker DW, Hirst JJ. Effects of prenatal stress on behavioural and neurodevelopmental outcomes are altered by maternal separation in the neonatal period. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2021; 124:105060. [PMID: 33333379 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2020.105060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2020] [Revised: 11/08/2020] [Accepted: 11/09/2020] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chronic psychosocial stress during pregnancy and/or after birth, and the associated elevation in cortisol, is linked with the onset of behavioural disorders in childhood. Previously, prenatal stress has been shown to reduce neurosteroid pathways in the fetus and the levels of the neurosteroid and GABAA receptor agonist, allopregnanolone. In late gestation, elevated levels of GABAergic activity increases inhibitory tone and protects against excessive excitation. These levels of allopregnanolone may also contribute to promoting myelination, thus stress-induced suppression of protective neurosteroid levels may disrupt neurodevelopmental processes and can result in reduced myelination. The objective of this study was to examine whether prenatal and postnatal stress reduces levels of inhibitory pathways to result in behavioural, myelin, and GABAergic/glutamatergic pathway deficits in the hippocampus at a postnatal time point in the guinea pig equivalent to childhood in humans. METHODS Pregnant guinea pig dams were exposed to prenatal stress (PRE) with strobe light exposure for 2 h/day on gestational age (GA) 50, 55, 60 and 65 (term is ∼GA70), with postnatal stress (POST) caused by maternal separation for 2 h/day from postnatal day (PND) 1-7), or a double-hit of both stressors (PRE + POST). Control dams and offspring groups (CON) were handled at the same time each day without causing stress. Behavioural outcomes were assessed using open field and elevated plus maze testing on PND27. After euthanasia on PND30, plasma samples were collected for steroid quantification of cortisol, allopregnanolone and progesterone by ELISA. Hippocampal samples were collected to assess markers of oligodendrocyte development and mature cells by myelin basic protein (MBP) immunostaining and GABAergic and glutamatergic pathway component gene expression by real time PCR. RESULTS Male guinea pig offspring exposed to prenatal stress exhibited hyperactive-like behaviour at childhood equivalence, while female offspring displayed anxious-like behaviour, to a lesser extent. In both sexes, MBP immunostaining was significantly decreased in the hippocampal region following prenatal stress, despite normal levels of MBP mRNA, which suggests a disruption to the MBP protein translation pathway. Many components of the GABAergic and glutamatergic pathways were disrupted following prenatal stress, notably GABAA receptor subunits, GABA production and uptake, glutamate ionotropic and metabotropic receptor subunits and glutamate transport. Following prenatal + postnatal stress, many of the behavioural and neurodevelopmental deficits were improved compared to the prenatal stress only group. CONCLUSION We conclude that prenatal stress disrupts GABAergic and glutamatergic pathways that may contribute to reduced myelination and subsequent behavioural deficits in the offspring. The deficits seen following prenatal stress are ameliorated when paired with subsequent postnatal stress, which highlights the early postnatal period as an important treatment window.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabrielle K Crombie
- Mothers and Babies Research Centre, Hunter Medical Research Institute, Newcastle, NSW, Australia; School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, University of Newcastle, NSW, Australia.
| | - Hannah K Palliser
- Mothers and Babies Research Centre, Hunter Medical Research Institute, Newcastle, NSW, Australia; School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, University of Newcastle, NSW, Australia
| | - Julia C Shaw
- Mothers and Babies Research Centre, Hunter Medical Research Institute, Newcastle, NSW, Australia; School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, University of Newcastle, NSW, Australia
| | | | - David W Walker
- School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, VIC, Australia
| | - Jonathan J Hirst
- Mothers and Babies Research Centre, Hunter Medical Research Institute, Newcastle, NSW, Australia; School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, University of Newcastle, NSW, Australia
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Maternal prenatal stress exposure and sex-specific risk of severe infection in offspring. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0245747. [PMID: 33513152 PMCID: PMC7845992 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0245747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2020] [Accepted: 01/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Maternal stressful life events during pregnancy have been associated with immune dysregulation and increased risk for asthma and atopy in offspring. Few studies have investigated whether prenatal stress is associated with increased overall or specific infectious diseases in childhood, nor explored sex differences. We sought to examine the relationship between the nature and timing of maternal stress in pregnancy and hospitalisation with infection in offspring. Methods Between 1989 and 1992, exposure data on stressful life events were collected from pregnant women (Gen1) in the Raine Study at 18 and 34 weeks’ gestation and linked to statutory state-wide hospital morbidity data. We examined associations between the number, category and timing of maternal prenatal stress events and overall and clinical groups of offspring (Gen2) infection-related hospitalisation until age 16 years, adjusting for maternal age, education, and smoking in pregnancy in addition to the presence of siblings at birth. Results Of 2,141 offspring with complete stress in pregnancy data available, 1,089 had at least one infection-related hospitalisation, with upper respiratory tract infections the most common (n = 556). Each additional stressful life event during pregnancy was associated with increased risk in male offspring for hospitalisation with all infection types. There was little evidence of these associations in girls. Conclusions Increased exposure to stressful life events in utero is associated with sex-specific infection-related hospitalisations in childhood. Prenatal stress may adversely affect early immune development for boys and increase the risk of more severe infections. Mechanistic understanding would inform preventative interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monique Robinson
- Telethon Institute for Child Health Research, Centre for Child Health Research, The University of Western Australia,
- School of Psychology, The University of Western Australia,
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Prenatal developmental origins of behavior and mental health: The influence of maternal stress in pregnancy. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 117:26-64. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2017.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 438] [Impact Index Per Article: 109.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2016] [Revised: 04/09/2017] [Accepted: 07/11/2017] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
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Barzilay R, Lawrence GM, Berliner A, Gur RE, Leventer-Roberts M, Weizman A, Feldman B. Association between prenatal exposure to a 1-month period of repeated rocket attacks and neuropsychiatric outcomes up through age 9: a retrospective cohort study. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2020; 29:1135-1142. [PMID: 31686238 PMCID: PMC7196480 DOI: 10.1007/s00787-019-01426-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2019] [Accepted: 10/16/2019] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to gestational stress is implicated in increased risk for neuropsychiatric disorders in offspring. We assessed association between prenatal exposure to a 1-month period of repeated rocket attacks during the 2006 Second Lebanon War in Northern Israel and emergence of childhood neuropsychiatric disorders from birth through 9 years of age. Children born to women who were pregnant during the war (N = 6999) were identified and compared to children in the same district born a year later (N = 7054), whose mothers were not exposed to rocket attacks during pregnancy. Multivariable regression models assessed risk for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism, epilepsy, depression and/or anxiety, or any of these disorders (composite outcome) in offspring. Models controlled for multiple confounders including parents' demographics, parity, maternal use of psychotropic medications during pregnancy, post-partum depression and parental psychiatric history. Results show that exposed and comparison groups did not differ with respect to demographics, parity or psychiatric history. Exposed and comparison groups were similar with regard to gestational age and weight at birth. Multivariable models did not demonstrate an association between exposure to rocket attacks during pregnancy and neuropsychiatric outcomes by age 9. No interactions were found between exposure and gestational trimester at exposure or child's sex. Our findings suggest that in utero exposure to isolated, 1-month repeated rocket attacks on a civilian population was not associated with major neuropsychiatric outcomes in children by age 9. Future studies should evaluate whether this exposure is associated with psychiatric and/or other health-related outcomes later in life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ran Barzilay
- Lifespan Brain Institute, Penn Medicine, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
| | - Gabriella M Lawrence
- Clalit Research Institute, Chief Physician's Office, Clalit Health Services, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Adi Berliner
- Clalit Research Institute, Chief Physician's Office, Clalit Health Services, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Raquel E Gur
- Lifespan Brain Institute, Penn Medicine, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Maya Leventer-Roberts
- Clalit Research Institute, Chief Physician's Office, Clalit Health Services, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Abraham Weizman
- Research Unit, Geha Mental Health Center, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Petah-Tikva, Israel
| | - Becca Feldman
- Clalit Research Institute, Chief Physician's Office, Clalit Health Services, Tel Aviv, Israel
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Continuity and change in anger and aggressiveness from infancy to childhood: The protective effects of positive parenting. Dev Psychopathol 2020; 33:937-956. [DOI: 10.1017/s0954579420000243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
AbstractEarly signs of anger and aggression can be identified in infancy. Our aim was to use person-centered methods to identify which infants were most at risk for clinically significant behavioral problems by age 3 and diagnoses of ODD/CD by 7 years, while considering the role of family risk factors and positive parenting. A representative British community sample of 304 infants was assessed by multiple informants at mean ages of 6, 21, and 36 months of age. Latent Transition Analysis (LTA) identified three ordered subgroups at each age, with one subgroup (18%) displaying high levels of physical force as well as anger. These angry aggressive infants were at elevated risk for behavioral problems in early childhood and diagnoses of conduct disorder (CD) and/or oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) at 7 years of age. After other risk factors were taken into account, parents' beliefs in warm parenting and their observed positive affect while interacting with their infants were protective factors. These findings indicate the significance of very early manifestations of angry aggressiveness and have relevance for developmental theories of aggression and prevention strategies.
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Bendiksen B, Aase H, Diep LM, Svensson E, Friis S, Zeiner P. The Associations Between Pre- and Postnatal Maternal Symptoms of Distress and Preschooler's Symptoms of ADHD, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, Conduct Disorder, and Anxiety. J Atten Disord 2020; 24:1057-1069. [PMID: 26647350 DOI: 10.1177/1087054715616185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Objective: The objective of this article is to examine the associations between pre- and postnatal maternal distress and preschooler's symptoms of ADHD, Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD), Conduct Disorder (CD), and anxiety, by timing and gender. Method: Children, aged 3.5 years (N = 1,195), recruited from the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study, were assessed with a semistructured parental psychiatric interview. Perinatal maternal symptoms of distress were assessed by Symptom Checklist (SCL-5); Poisson regression was used to examine the associations. Results: Mid-gestational maternal distress significantly increased the average number of child symptoms, ranging between 3.8% for ADHD hyperactive-impulsive (ADHD-HI) and 8.7% for anxiety. The combination of high maternal scores of distress both pre- and postnatally were associated with increased risk of child symptoms of anxiety (relative risk [RR] = 2.10; 95% confidence interval [CI] = [1.43, 3.07]), CD (RR = 1.83; 95% CI = [1.33, 2.51]), and ODD (RR = 1.30; 95% CI = [1.03, 1.64]), with minor sex differences. Conclusion: Maternal distress during mid-gestation was associated with ADHD, behavioral, and emotional symptoms in preschool children. Continued exposure into the postnatal period may further increase these risk associations .
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Heidi Aase
- Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
| | - Lien My Diep
- Oslo University Hospital, Norway.,University of Oslo, Norway
| | | | - Svein Friis
- Oslo University Hospital, Norway.,University of Oslo, Norway
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Lautarescu A, Pecheva D, Nosarti C, Nihouarn J, Zhang H, Victor S, Craig M, Edwards AD, Counsell SJ. Maternal Prenatal Stress Is Associated With Altered Uncinate Fasciculus Microstructure in Premature Neonates. Biol Psychiatry 2020; 87:559-569. [PMID: 31604519 PMCID: PMC7016501 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2019.08.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2019] [Revised: 08/13/2019] [Accepted: 08/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Maternal prenatal stress exposure (PNSE) increases risk for adverse psychiatric and behavioral outcomes in offspring. The biological basis for this elevated risk is poorly understood but may involve alterations to the neurodevelopmental trajectory of white matter tracts within the limbic system, particularly the uncinate fasciculus. Additionally, preterm birth is associated with both impaired white matter development and adverse developmental outcomes. In this study we hypothesized that higher maternal PNSE was associated with altered uncinate fasciculus microstructure in offspring. METHODS In this study, 251 preterm infants (132 male, 119 female) (median gestational age = 30.29 weeks [range, 23.57-32.86 weeks]) underwent brain magnetic resonance imaging including diffusion-weighted imaging around term-equivalent age (median = 42.43 weeks [range, 37.86-45.71 weeks]). Measures of white matter microstructure were calculated for the uncinate fasciculus and the inferior longitudinal fasciculus, a control tract that we hypothesized was not associated with maternal PNSE. Multiple regressions were used to investigate the relationship among maternal trait anxiety scores, stressful life events, and white matter microstructure indices in the neonatal brain. RESULTS Adjusting for gestational age at birth, postmenstrual age at scan, maternal age, socioeconomic status, sex, and number of days on parenteral nutrition, higher stressful life events scores were associated with higher axial diffusivity (β = .177, q = .007), radial diffusivity (β = .133, q = .026), and mean diffusivity (β = .149, q = .012) in the left uncinate fasciculus, and higher axial diffusivity (β = .142, q = .026) in the right uncinate fasciculus. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that PNSE is associated with altered development of specific frontolimbic pathways in preterm neonates as early as term-equivalent age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Lautarescu
- Department of Perinatal Imaging and Health, Centre for Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, United Kingdom; Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom.
| | - Diliana Pecheva
- Department of Perinatal Imaging and Health, Centre for Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Chiara Nosarti
- Department of Perinatal Imaging and Health, Centre for Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Julie Nihouarn
- Department of Perinatal Imaging and Health, Centre for Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Hui Zhang
- Department of Computer Science and Centre for Medical Image Computing, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Suresh Victor
- Department of Perinatal Imaging and Health, Centre for Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Michael Craig
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom,National Female Hormone Clinic, South London and Maudsley National Health Service Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - A. David Edwards
- Department of Perinatal Imaging and Health, Centre for Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Serena J. Counsell
- Department of Perinatal Imaging and Health, Centre for Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
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Shaw JC, Crombie GK, Zakar T, Palliser HK, Hirst JJ. Perinatal compromise contributes to programming of GABAergic and glutamatergic systems leading to long-term effects on offspring behaviour. J Neuroendocrinol 2020; 32:e12814. [PMID: 31758712 DOI: 10.1111/jne.12814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2019] [Revised: 10/30/2019] [Accepted: 11/20/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Extensive evidence now shows that adversity during the perinatal period is a significant risk factor for the development of neurodevelopmental disorders long after the causative event. Despite stemming from a variety of causes, perinatal compromise appears to have similar effects on the developing brain, thereby resulting in behavioural disorders of a similar nature. These behavioural disorders occur in a sex-dependent manner, with males affected more by externalising behaviours such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and females by internalising behaviours such as anxiety. Regardless of the causative event or the sex of the offspring, these disorders may begin in childhood or adolescence but extend into adulthood. A mechanism by which adverse events in the perinatal period impact later in life behaviour has been shown to be the changing epigenetic landscape. Methylation of the GAD1/GAD67 gene, which encodes the key glutamate-to-GABA-synthesising enzyme glutamate decarboxylase 1, resulting in increased levels of glutamate, is one epigenetic mechanism that may account for a tendency towards excitation in disorders such as ADHD. Exposure of the fetus or the neonate to high levels of cortisol may be the mediator between perinatal compromise and poor behavioural outcomes because evidence suggests that increased glucocorticoid exposure triggers widespread changes in the epigenetic landscape. This review summarises the current evidence and recent literature about the impact of various perinatal insults on the epigenome and the common mechanisms that may explain the similarity of behavioural outcomes occurring following diverse perinatal compromise.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia C Shaw
- School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, Faculty of Health and Medicine, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia
- Mothers and Babies Research Centre, Hunter Medical Research Institute, New Lambton Heights, NSW, Australia
| | - Gabrielle K Crombie
- School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, Faculty of Health and Medicine, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia
- Mothers and Babies Research Centre, Hunter Medical Research Institute, New Lambton Heights, NSW, Australia
| | - Tamas Zakar
- Mothers and Babies Research Centre, Hunter Medical Research Institute, New Lambton Heights, NSW, Australia
- School of Medicine and Public Health, Faculty of Health and Medicine, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia
| | - Hannah K Palliser
- School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, Faculty of Health and Medicine, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia
- Mothers and Babies Research Centre, Hunter Medical Research Institute, New Lambton Heights, NSW, Australia
| | - Jonathan J Hirst
- School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, Faculty of Health and Medicine, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia
- Mothers and Babies Research Centre, Hunter Medical Research Institute, New Lambton Heights, NSW, Australia
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Boardman JP, Counsell SJ. Invited Review: Factors associated with atypical brain development in preterm infants: insights from magnetic resonance imaging. Neuropathol Appl Neurobiol 2019; 46:413-421. [PMID: 31747472 PMCID: PMC7496638 DOI: 10.1111/nan.12589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2019] [Accepted: 11/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Preterm birth (PTB) is a leading cause of neurodevelopmental and neurocognitive impairment in childhood and is closely associated with psychiatric disease. The biological and environmental factors that confer risk and resilience for healthy brain development and long‐term outcome after PTB are uncertain, which presents challenges for risk stratification and for the discovery and evaluation of neuroprotective strategies. Neonatal magnetic resonance imaging reveals a signature of PTB that includes dysconnectivity of neural networks and atypical development of cortical and deep grey matter structures. Here we provide a brief review of perinatal factors that are associated with the MRI signature of PTB. We consider maternal and foetal factors including chorioamnionitis, foetal growth restriction, socioeconomic deprivation and prenatal alcohol, drug and stress exposures; and neonatal factors including co‐morbidities of PTB, nutrition, pain and medication during neonatal intensive care and variation conferred by the genome/epigenome. Association studies offer the first insights into pathways to adversity and resilience after PTB. Future challenges are to analyse quantitative brain MRI data with collateral biological and environmental data in study designs that support causal inference, and ultimately to use the output of such analyses to stratify infants for clinical trials of therapies designed to improve outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- J P Boardman
- MRC Centre for Reproductive Health, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - S J Counsell
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, King's College London, London, UK
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The association of early life stressors with pain sensitivity and pain experience at 22 years. Pain 2019; 161:220-229. [DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000001704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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The pervasive effects of timing of parental mental health disorders on adolescent deliberate self-harm risk. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0220704. [PMID: 31412095 PMCID: PMC6693755 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0220704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2018] [Accepted: 07/22/2019] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Children whose parents have mental health disorders are at increased risk for deliberate self-harm (DSH). However, the effect of timing of parental mental health disorders on adolescent DSH risk remains under-researched. The aim of this study was to investigate how parental hospital admissions for mental health disorders and/or DSH in different developmental periods impact on the child’s DSH risk in adolescence. A nested case-control sample was compiled from a total population cohort sample drawn from administrative health records in Western Australia. The sample comprised 7,151 adolescents who had a DSH-related hospital admission (cases), and 143,020 matched controls who hadn’t had a DSH-related hospital admission. The occurrence of parental hospital admissions related to mental health disorders and/or DSH behaviours was then analysed for the cases and controls. The timing of the parental hospital admissions was partitioned into four stages in the child’s life course: (1) pre-pregnancy, (2) pregnancy and infancy, (3) childhood, and (4) adolescence. We found that adolescents of a parent with mental health and/or DSH-related hospital admissions in all developmental periods except pregnancy and infancy were significantly more likely than controls to have a DSH-related hospital admission. Compared to parental hospital admissions that occurred during childhood and adolescence, those that occurred before pregnancy conferred a higher risk for adolescent DSH: adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 1.25 for having only one parent hospitalised and 1.66 for having both parents hospitalised for mental health disorders; aOR = 1.97 for having any parent hospitalised for DSH, all being significant at the level of p < .001. This study shows that timing is important for understanding intergenerational transmission of DSH risk. The pre-pregnancy period is as critical as period after childbirth for effective intervention targeting adult mental health disorders and DSH, highlighting the important role of adult mental health services in preventing DSH risk in future generations.
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O'Connor TG, Miller RK, Salafia C. Placental Studies for Child Development. CHILD DEVELOPMENT PERSPECTIVES 2019; 13:193-198. [PMID: 31413725 DOI: 10.1111/cdep.12338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Research on children's psychological and behavioral development readily incorporates changing biological models and techniques. In this article, we suggest that, in response to increasing evidence of robust influences of prenatal exposures on children's neurodevelopment and mental and physical health, developmental science also needs to consider the placenta's role in development. We argue why placental mechanisms are plausible targets in developmental science, and suggest initial and practical steps toward integrating placenta markers and mechanisms into research on child development.
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Huang RC, Lillycrop KA, Beilin LJ, Godfrey KM, Anderson D, Mori TA, Rauschert S, Craig JM, Oddy WH, Ayonrinde OT, Pennell CE, Holbrook JD, Melton PE. Epigenetic Age Acceleration in Adolescence Associates With BMI, Inflammation, and Risk Score for Middle Age Cardiovascular Disease. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2019; 104:3012-3024. [PMID: 30785999 PMCID: PMC6555851 DOI: 10.1210/jc.2018-02076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2018] [Accepted: 02/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
CONTEXT "Accelerated aging," assessed by adult DNA methylation, predicts cardiovascular disease (CVD). Adolescent accelerated aging might predict CVD earlier. We investigated whether epigenetic age acceleration (assessed age, 17 years) was associated with adiposity/CVD risk measured (ages 17, 20, and 22 years) and projected CVD by middle age. DESIGN DNA methylation measured in peripheral blood provided two estimates of epigenetic age acceleration: intrinsic (IEAA; preserved across cell types) and extrinsic (EEAA; dependent on cell admixture and methylation levels within each cell type). Adiposity was assessed by anthropometry, ultrasound, and dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (ages 17, 20, and 22 years). CVD risk factors [lipids, homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), blood pressure, inflammatory markers] were assessed at age 17 years. CVD development by age 47 years was calculated by Framingham algorithms. Results are presented as regression coefficients per 5-year epigenetic age acceleration (IEAA/EEAA) for adiposity, CVD risk factors, and CVD development. RESULTS In 995 participants (49.6% female; age, 17.3 ± 0.6 years), EEAA (per 5 years) was associated with increased body mass index (BMI) of 2.4% (95% CI, 1.2% to 3.6%) and 2.4% (0.8% to 3.9%) at 17 and 22 years, respectively. EEAA was associated with increases of 23% (3% to 33%) in high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, 10% (4% to 17%) in interferon-γ-inducible protein of 10 kDa, and 4% (2% to 6%) in soluble TNF receptor 2, adjusted for BMI and HOMA-IR. EEAA (per 5 years) results in a 4% increase in hard endpoints of CVD by 47 years of age and a 3% increase, after adjustment for conventional risk factors. CONCLUSIONS Accelerated epigenetic age in adolescence was associated with inflammation, BMI measured 5 years later, and probability of middle age CVD. Irrespective of whether this is cause or effect, assessing epigenetic age might refine disease prediction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rae-Chi Huang
- Telethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia
- Correspondence and Reprint Requests: Rae-Chi Huang, MBBS, FRACP, PhD, Telethon Kids Institute, 15 Hospital Avenue, Nedlands, Western Australia 6009, Australia. E-mail:
| | | | - Lawrence J Beilin
- Medical School, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia Australia
| | - Keith M Godfrey
- Medical School, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia Australia
| | - Denise Anderson
- Telethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Trevor A Mori
- Medical School, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia Australia
| | - Sebastian Rauschert
- Telethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Jeffrey M Craig
- Centre for Molecular and Medical Research, School of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
- Environmental and Genetic Epidemiology Research, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Royal Children’s Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Wendy H Oddy
- Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Oyekoya T Ayonrinde
- Medical School, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia Australia
| | - Craig E Pennell
- School of Medicine and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, New South Wales, Australia
| | | | - Phillip E Melton
- Curtin/UWA Centre for Genetic Origins of Health and Disease, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
- School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
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Abstract
PURPOSE The purpose of the Raine Study is to improve human health and well-being by studying the life-course of a cohort of Western Australians, based on a life-course conceptual framework that considers interactions between genetics, phenotypes, behaviours, the environment and developmental and social outcomes. PARTICIPANTS Between May 1989 and November 1991, 2900 pregnant women were enrolled in the Raine Study in Perth, Western Australia. In total, 2730 women gave birth to 2868 children (Generation 2) between August 1989 and April 1992. The mothers and fathers of Generation 2 are referred to as Generation 1 of the Raine Study. In the most recent Generation 1 follow-up, 636 mothers and 462 fathers participated. FINDINGS TO DATE Until the 26-year follow-up of Generation 1 the focus of research within the Raine Study was on outcomes in Generation 2, with information on the parents mainly being used to examine its influence on their children's outcomes. For example, recent findings showed that several characteristics of mothers, such as obesity, early mid-gestational weight gain and socioeconomic status were associated with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, adiposity and cardiometabolic characteristics in offspring. Other findings showed that parents with back pain were more likely to have offspring who experienced back pain. Also, non-linear and dynamic relationships were found between maternal working hours and offspring overweight or obesity. FUTURE PLANS The Raine Study will continue to provide access to its dense longitudinal genetic, phenotypic, behavioural, environmental, developmental and social data to undertake studies with the ultimate goal of improving human health and well-being. Analyses of data from the recent Generation 1 year 26 follow-up are underway. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER ACTRN12617001599369.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manon L Dontje
- School of Population and Global Health, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Peter Eastwood
- Centre for Sleep Science, School of Human Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Leon Straker
- School of Physiotherapy and Exercise Science, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
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Lequertier B, Simcock G, Cobham VE, Kildea S, King S. Infant Behavior and Competence Following Prenatal Exposure to a Natural Disaster: The QF2011 Queensland Flood Study. INFANCY 2019; 24:411-432. [PMID: 32677191 DOI: 10.1111/infa.12286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2018] [Revised: 11/22/2018] [Accepted: 01/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
This study utilized a natural disaster to investigate the effects of prenatal maternal stress (PNMS) arising from exposure to a severe flood on maternally reported infant social-emotional and behavioral outcomes at 16 months, along with potential moderation by infant sex and gestational timing of flood exposure. Women pregnant during the Queensland floods in January 2011 completed measures of flood-related objective hardship and posttraumatic stress (PTS). At 16 months postpartum, mothers completed measures describing depressive symptoms and infant social-emotional and behavioral problems (n = 123) and competence (n = 125). Greater maternal PTS symptoms were associated with reduced infant competence. A sex difference in infant behavioral problems emerged at higher levels of maternal objective hardship and PTS; boys had significantly more behavioral problems than girls. Additionally, greater PTS was associated with more behavioral problems in boys; however, this effect was attenuated by adjustment for maternal depressive symptoms. No main effects or interactions with gestational timing were found. Findings highlight specificity in the relationships between PNMS components and infant outcomes and demonstrate that the effects of PNMS exposure on behavior may be evident as early as infancy. Implications for the support of families exposed to a natural disaster during pregnancy are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Belinda Lequertier
- Mater Research Institute-University of Queensland.,School of Psychology, The University of Queensland
| | - Gabrielle Simcock
- Mater Research Institute-University of Queensland.,School of Psychology, The University of Queensland
| | - Vanessa E Cobham
- Mater Research Institute-University of Queensland.,School of Psychology, The University of Queensland
| | - Sue Kildea
- Mater Research Institute-University of Queensland.,School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work, The University of Queensland
| | - Suzanne King
- Schizophrenia and Neurodevelopmental Disorders Research Program, Douglas Hospital Research Centre.,Department of Psychiatry, McGill University
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Hantsoo L, Kornfield S, Anguera MC, Epperson CN. Inflammation: A Proposed Intermediary Between Maternal Stress and Offspring Neuropsychiatric Risk. Biol Psychiatry 2019; 85:97-106. [PMID: 30314641 PMCID: PMC6309506 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2018.08.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 129] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2018] [Revised: 08/03/2018] [Accepted: 08/22/2018] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
During pregnancy, programming of the fetal central nervous system establishes vulnerabilities for emergence of neuropsychiatric phenotypes later in life. Psychosocial influences during pregnancy, such as stressful life events and chronic stress, correlate with offspring neuropsychiatric disorders and inflammation, respectively. Stress promotes inflammation, but the role of inflammation as a mediator between maternal psychosocial stress and offspring neuropsychiatric outcomes has not been extensively studied in humans. This review summarizes clinical evidence linking specific types of stress to maternal inflammatory load during pregnancy. We propose that inflammation is a mediator in the relationship between psychosocial stress and offspring neuropsychiatric outcomes, potentially influenced by poor maternal glucocorticoid-immune coordination. We present relevant experimental animal research supporting this hypothesis. We conclude that clinical and preclinical research supports the premise that stress-induced maternal immune activation contributes in part to prenatal programming of risk. Programming of risk is likely due to a combination of vulnerabilities, including multiple or repeated inflammatory events; timing of such events; poor maternal regulation of inflammation; genetic vulnerability; and lifestyle contributors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liisa Hantsoo
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
| | - Sara Kornfield
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Montserrat C Anguera
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - C Neill Epperson
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Penn PROMOTES Research on Sex and Gender in Health, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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Zhang W, Li Q, Deyssenroth M, Lambertini L, Finik J, Ham J, Huang Y, Tsuchiya KJ, Pehme P, Buthmann J, Yoshida S, Chen J, Nomura Y. Timing of prenatal exposure to trauma and altered placental expressions of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis genes and genes driving neurodevelopment. J Neuroendocrinol 2018; 30:e12581. [PMID: 29423924 PMCID: PMC5939590 DOI: 10.1111/jne.12581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2017] [Revised: 01/30/2018] [Accepted: 02/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Prenatal maternal stress increases the risk for negative developmental outcomes in offspring; however, the underlying biological mechanisms remain largely unexplored. In the present study, alterations in placental gene expression associated with maternal stress were examined to clarify the potential underlying epi/genetic mechanisms. Expression levels of 40 selected genes involved in regulating foetal hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and neurodevelopment were profiled in placental tissues collected from a birth cohort established around the time of Superstorm Sandy. Objective prenatal traumatic stress was defined as whether mothers were exposed to Superstorm Sandy during pregnancy. Among the 275 mother-infant dyads, 181 dyads were delivered before Superstorm Sandy (ie, Control), 66 dyads were exposed to Superstorm Sandy during the first trimester (ie, Early Exposure) and 28 were exposed to Superstorm Sandy during the second or third trimester (ie, Mid-Late Exposure). Across all trimesters, expression of HSD11B2, MAOA, ZNF507 and DYRK1A was down-regulated among those exposed to Superstorm Sandy during pregnancy. Furthermore, trimester-specific differences were also observed: exposure during early gestation was associated with down-regulation of HSD11B1 and MAOB and up-regulation of CRHBP; exposure during mid-late gestation was associated with up-regulation of SRD5A3. The findings of the present study suggest that placental gene expression may be altered in response to traumatic stress exposure during pregnancy, and the susceptibility of these genes is dependent on the time of the exposure during pregnancy. Further studies should aim to clarify the biological mechanisms that underlie trimester-specific exposure by evaluating the differential impact on offspring neurodevelopment later in childhood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Zhang
- Queens College, CUNY, Psychology, New York, NY, United States
| | - Qian Li
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, New York, NY, USA
| | - Maya Deyssenroth
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, New York, NY, USA
| | - Luca Lambertini
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jackie Finik
- Queens College, CUNY, Psychology, New York, NY, United States
- The Graduate Center, CUNY, Psychology, New York, NY, United States
- Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy, CUNY, New York, NY, United State
| | - Jacob Ham
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Psychiatry, New York, NY, United States
| | - Yongling Huang
- The Graduate Center, CUNY, Psychology, New York, NY, United States
| | - Kenji J Tsuchiya
- Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Research Center for Child Mental Development, Shizuoka, Japan
| | - Patricia Pehme
- Queens College, CUNY, Psychology, New York, NY, United States
- The Graduate Center, CUNY, Psychology, New York, NY, United States
| | - Jessica Buthmann
- Queens College, CUNY, Psychology, New York, NY, United States
- The Graduate Center, CUNY, Psychology, New York, NY, United States
| | - Sachiko Yoshida
- Department of Environmental & Life Sciences, Toyohashi University of Technology, Toyohashi, Japan
| | - Jia Chen
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, New York, NY, USA
| | - Yoko Nomura
- Queens College, CUNY, Psychology, New York, NY, United States
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, New York, NY, USA
- The Graduate Center, CUNY, Psychology, New York, NY, United States
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Psychiatry, New York, NY, United States
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MacKinnon N, Kingsbury M, Mahedy L, Evans J, Colman I. The Association Between Prenatal Stress and Externalizing Symptoms in Childhood: Evidence From the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. Biol Psychiatry 2018; 83:100-108. [PMID: 28893381 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2017.07.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2016] [Revised: 07/12/2017] [Accepted: 07/13/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND It has been suggested that prenatal maternal stress may increase the risk of childhood externalizing disorders, yet no large cohort study has investigated this association across a large range of acute stressors. Our objective was to estimate the association between prenatal stressful events and risk of offspring conduct disorder and hyperactivity. METHODS We used data from 10,184 mother-offspring pairs from the United Kingdom-based Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. Mothers self-reported 42 prenatal stressful life events at 18 weeks' gestation. Symptoms of conduct disorder and hyperactivity in their offspring were measured at 6, 9, 11, 13, and 16 years of age using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. The primary outcome was membership in high-symptom trajectories of 1) conduct disorder and 2) hyperactivity throughout childhood, identified using latent class growth modeling. Multinomial logistic regression models estimated the association between prenatal stress and both conduct disorder and hyperactivity, after adjusting for sex, parental education, low birth weight, preterm birth, parental social class, maternal smoking and drinking, maternal mental health, offspring stressful life events, and offspring depressive and anxious symptoms. RESULTS Those exposed to the highest quartile of prenatal stress were more likely to belong to the high symptom trajectory for hyperactivity (B = 0.46, p < .05) and conduct disorder (B = 0.88, p < .01), respectively. Prenatal stress further demonstrated a positive, dose-response relationship with symptoms of externalizing disorders at independent time points. CONCLUSIONS The findings suggest that prenatal stressful events may be an independent risk factor for offspring externalizing symptoms, regardless of maternal mental health and offspring internalizing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathalie MacKinnon
- School of Epidemiology, Public Health, and Preventive Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Mila Kingsbury
- School of Epidemiology, Public Health, and Preventive Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Liam Mahedy
- School of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Jonathan Evans
- School of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Ian Colman
- School of Epidemiology, Public Health, and Preventive Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
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Milaniak I, Cecil CAM, Barker ED, Relton CL, Gaunt TR, McArdle W, Jaffee SR. Variation in DNA methylation of the oxytocin receptor gene predicts children's resilience to prenatal stress. Dev Psychopathol 2017; 29:1663-1674. [PMID: 29162179 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579417001316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Emerging research in epigenetics has shown that there is variability in how environmental exposures "get under the skin" through mechanisms like DNA methylation to influence gene expression that may lead to differential adaptations to stress. This is the first study to examine prospectively the relationship between DNA methylation at birth and resilience to prenatal environmental stressors in several domains (conduct, hyperactivity, emotional problems, and global symptomatology) in middle childhood. We focused on DNA methylation in the vicinity of the oxytocin receptor (OXTR) gene as it has been previously associated with impairments in social-cognitive processes that may underlie a wide range of childhood psychopathology. Participants were 91 youth exposed to pre- and postnatal adversity with established conduct problem trajectories drawn from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. Consistent with our hypothesis, OXTR DNA methylation was predictive of resilience in the conduct problems domain in middle childhood. DNA methylation profiles did not predict resilience in domains of emotional, hyperactivity, and global symptomatology, suggesting a potential role for OXTR in the development of conduct problems in particular. However, individuals who were resilient to conduct problems were also broadly resilient across multiple domains. Therefore, future research should elucidate the biological pathways between OXTR DNA methylation and gene expression and its relation to impairments in social behavior.
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Ussher JM, Perz J, Metusela C, Hawkey AJ, Morrow M, Narchal R, Estoesta J. Negotiating Discourses of Shame, Secrecy, and Silence: Migrant and Refugee Women's Experiences of Sexual Embodiment. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2017; 46:1901-1921. [PMID: 28083724 PMCID: PMC5547186 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-016-0898-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2016] [Revised: 10/27/2016] [Accepted: 10/31/2016] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
In Australia and Canada, the sexual health needs of migrant and refugee women have been of increasing concern, because of their underutilization of sexual health services and higher rate of sexual health problems. Previous research on migrant women's sexual health has focused on their higher risk of difficulties, or barriers to service use, rather than their construction or understanding of sexuality and sexual health, which may influence service use and outcomes. Further, few studies of migrant and refugee women pay attention to the overlapping role of culture, gender, class, and ethnicity in women's understanding of sexual health. This qualitative study used an intersectional framework to explore experiences and constructions of sexual embodiment among 169 migrant and refugee women recently resettled in Sydney, Australia and Vancouver, Canada, from Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Sri Lanka, India, and South America, utilizing a combination of individual interviews and focus groups. Across all of the cultural groups, participants described a discourse of shame, associated with silence and secrecy, as the dominant cultural and religious construction of women's sexual embodiment. This was evident in constructions of menarche and menstruation, the embodied experience that signifies the transformation of a girl into a sexual woman; constructions of sexuality, including sexual knowledge and communication, premarital virginity, sexual pain, desire, and consent; and absence of agency in fertility control and sexual health. Women were not passive in relation to a discourse of sexual shame; a number demonstrated active resistance and negotiation in order to achieve a degree of sexual agency, yet also maintain cultural and religious identity. Identifying migrant and refugee women's experiences and constructions of sexual embodiment are essential for understanding sexual subjectivity, and provision of culturally safe sexual health information in order to improve well-being and facilitate sexual agency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jane M Ussher
- Centre for Health Research, School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Sydney, NSW, 2751, Australia.
| | - Janette Perz
- Centre for Health Research, School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Sydney, NSW, 2751, Australia
| | - Christine Metusela
- Centre for Health Research, School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Sydney, NSW, 2751, Australia
| | - Alexandra J Hawkey
- Centre for Health Research, School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Sydney, NSW, 2751, Australia
| | - Marina Morrow
- Centre for the Study of Gender, Social Inequities and Mental Health, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Renu Narchal
- Centre for Health Research, School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Sydney, NSW, 2751, Australia
| | - Jane Estoesta
- , Family Planning New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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46
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Ussher JM, Perz J, Metusela C, Hawkey AJ, Morrow M, Narchal R, Estoesta J. Negotiating Discourses of Shame, Secrecy, and Silence: Migrant and Refugee Women's Experiences of Sexual Embodiment. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2017; 46:1901-1921. [PMID: 28083724 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-10016-10898-10509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2016] [Revised: 10/27/2016] [Accepted: 10/31/2016] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
In Australia and Canada, the sexual health needs of migrant and refugee women have been of increasing concern, because of their underutilization of sexual health services and higher rate of sexual health problems. Previous research on migrant women's sexual health has focused on their higher risk of difficulties, or barriers to service use, rather than their construction or understanding of sexuality and sexual health, which may influence service use and outcomes. Further, few studies of migrant and refugee women pay attention to the overlapping role of culture, gender, class, and ethnicity in women's understanding of sexual health. This qualitative study used an intersectional framework to explore experiences and constructions of sexual embodiment among 169 migrant and refugee women recently resettled in Sydney, Australia and Vancouver, Canada, from Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Sri Lanka, India, and South America, utilizing a combination of individual interviews and focus groups. Across all of the cultural groups, participants described a discourse of shame, associated with silence and secrecy, as the dominant cultural and religious construction of women's sexual embodiment. This was evident in constructions of menarche and menstruation, the embodied experience that signifies the transformation of a girl into a sexual woman; constructions of sexuality, including sexual knowledge and communication, premarital virginity, sexual pain, desire, and consent; and absence of agency in fertility control and sexual health. Women were not passive in relation to a discourse of sexual shame; a number demonstrated active resistance and negotiation in order to achieve a degree of sexual agency, yet also maintain cultural and religious identity. Identifying migrant and refugee women's experiences and constructions of sexual embodiment are essential for understanding sexual subjectivity, and provision of culturally safe sexual health information in order to improve well-being and facilitate sexual agency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jane M Ussher
- Centre for Health Research, School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Sydney, NSW, 2751, Australia.
| | - Janette Perz
- Centre for Health Research, School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Sydney, NSW, 2751, Australia
| | - Christine Metusela
- Centre for Health Research, School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Sydney, NSW, 2751, Australia
| | - Alexandra J Hawkey
- Centre for Health Research, School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Sydney, NSW, 2751, Australia
| | - Marina Morrow
- Centre for the Study of Gender, Social Inequities and Mental Health, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Renu Narchal
- Centre for Health Research, School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Sydney, NSW, 2751, Australia
| | - Jane Estoesta
- , Family Planning New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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47
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Varcin KJ, Alvares GA, Uljarević M, Whitehouse AJO. Prenatal maternal stress events and phenotypic outcomes in Autism Spectrum Disorder. Autism Res 2017; 10:1866-1877. [DOI: 10.1002/aur.1830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2017] [Revised: 04/20/2017] [Accepted: 06/05/2017] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kandice J. Varcin
- Telethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia; Perth Western Australia Australia
| | - Gail A. Alvares
- Telethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia; Perth Western Australia Australia
- Cooperative Research Centre for Living with Autism (Autism CRC); Long Pocket Brisbane, Queensland Australia
| | - Mirko Uljarević
- Cooperative Research Centre for Living with Autism (Autism CRC); Long Pocket Brisbane, Queensland Australia
- Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre; School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University; Victoria Australia
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The impact of life stress on adult depression and anxiety is dependent on gender and timing of exposure. Dev Psychopathol 2017; 29:1443-1454. [PMID: 28397629 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579417000372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
There is debate about the relative importance of timing of stressful events prenatally and over the life course and risk for subsequent depressive/anxious illness. The aim of this study was to examine the relative roles of prenatal stress and postnatal stress trajectories in predicting depression and anxiety in early adulthood in males and females. Exposure to life stress events was examined in the Western Australian Pregnancy Cohort (Raine) Study during pregnancy and ages 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 10, 14, and 17 years. At age 20, offspring completed the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale. Prenatal stress and trajectories of stress events from age 1 to 17 were analyzed in linear regression analyses. Five postnatal stress trajectories were identified. In females, medium to high chronic stress exposure or exposure during puberty/adolescence predicted depression and anxiety symptoms while low or reduced stress exposure over the life course did not, after adjustment for relevant confounders. High stress early in pregnancy contributed to male depression/anxiety symptoms independent of postnatal stress trajectory. In females, postnatal stress trajectory was more important than prenatal stress in predicting depression/anxiety symptoms. Interventions focused on reducing and managing stress events around conception/pregnancy and exposure to chronic stress are likely to have beneficial outcomes on rates of depression and anxiety in adults.
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Life, lifestyle and location: examining the complexities of psychological distress in young adult Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. J Dev Orig Health Dis 2017; 8:541-549. [DOI: 10.1017/s2040174417000162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Mental health is fundamental to an individual’s health and well-being. Mental health disorders affect a substantial portion of the Australian population, with the most vulnerable time in adolescence and young adulthood. Indigenous Australians fare worse than other Australians on almost every measure of physical and mental health. Cross-sectional data from young adults (21–27 years) participating in the Life Course Program, Northern Territory, Australia, is presented. Rates of psychological distress were high in remote and urban residing Indigenous and urban non-Indigenous young adults. This rate was more pronounced in young women, particularly in Indigenous remote and urban residing women. Young adults with high psychological distress also had lower levels of positive well-being, higher perceived stress levels, experienced a higher number of major life events and were at an increased risk of suicidal ideation and/or self-harm. This study supports the need for a continued focus on early screening and treatment at this vulnerable age. The significant association seen between psychological distress and other markers of emotional well-being, particularly risk of suicidal ideation and/or self-harm, highlights the need for a holistic approach to mental health assessment and treatment. A concerted focus on improving the environs of young adults by lowering levels of stress, improving access to adequate housing, educational and employment opportunity, will assist in improving the emotional health of young adults.
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Abstract
BACKGROUND Prior studies have suggested a relationship between atopy and mental health, although methodological barriers have limited the generalizability of these findings. The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between early-life atopy and vulnerability to mental health problems among youth in the community. METHOD Data were drawn from the Raine Study (N = 2868), a population-based birth cohort study in Western Australia. Logistic regression and generalized estimating equations were used to examine the relationship between atopy at ages 1-5 years [using parent report and objective biological confirmation (sera IgE)], and the range of internalizing and externalizing mental health problems at ages 5-17 years. RESULTS Atopy appears to be associated with increased vulnerability to affective and anxiety problems, compared to youth without atopy. These associations remained significant after adjusting for a range of potential confounders. No relationship was evident between atopy and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or externalizing problems. CONCLUSIONS Findings are the first linking atopy (measured by both parent report and objective verification) with increased vulnerability to affective and anxiety problems. Therefore, replication is required. If replicated, future research aimed at understanding the possible biological and/or social and environmental pathways underlying these links is needed. Such information could shed light on shared pathways that could lead to more effective treatments for both atopy and internalizing mental health problems.
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Affiliation(s)
- R D Goodwin
- Department of Psychology,Queens College and The Graduate Center,City University of New York (CUNY),Queens,NY,USA
| | - M Robinson
- Telethon Kids Institute,The University of Western Australia,West Perth,WA,Australia
| | - P D Sly
- Telethon Kids Institute,The University of Western Australia,West Perth,WA,Australia
| | - P G Holt
- Telethon Kids Institute,The University of Western Australia,West Perth,WA,Australia
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