Beyond the dyad: the role of mother and father in newborns' global DNA methylation during the first month of life-a pilot study

The study aimed to longitudinally explore the effects of parental prenatal attachment and psychopathological symptomatology on neonatal global DNA methylation (5-mC) variation between birth and the first month of life. Eighteen mothers and thirteen fathers were assessed before childbirth (t0) by Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Prenatal-Attachment Inventory, and Paternal Antenatal Attachment Scale; 48 hr after childbirth (t1) by SCL-90-R; and one month after childbirth (t2) by PSS. At t1 and t2, buccal swabs from parents and newborns were collected. In newborns' 5-mC and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of DAT, MAOA, BDNF, and 5-HTTLPR genes were detected, while in parents only SNPs were measured. At t1, newborns' 5-mC was negatively associated with maternal psychopathological symptoms, while at t2, newborns' 5-mC was positively associated with paternal psychopathological symptoms and negatively with paternal prenatal attachment. The variation of newborns' 5-mC from t1 to t2 was predicted by paternal psychopathological symptoms. No significant correlations among parental SNPs and 5-mC levels were found. Results highlight parent-specific influences on newborn's DNA methylation. At birth, maternal psychological symptoms seem to have an effect on newborns' 5-mC, while after one month of life, paternal psychological characteristics could have a specific role in modulating the newborns' epigenetic responses to the environment.