Document Type
Article
Publication Date
1-19-2022
Abstract
Telomere length (TL) is a biological marker of cellular aging, and shorter TL in adulthood is associated with increased morbidity and mortality risk. It is likely that these differences in TL are established long before adulthood, and there is growing evidence that TL can reflect prenatal experiences. Although maternal prenatal distress predicts newborn TL, it is unknown whether the relation between prenatal exposure to maternal distress and child TL persists through childhood. The purpose of the current longitudinal, prospective study is to examine the relation between prenatal exposure to maternal distress (perceived stress, depressive symptoms, pregnancy-related anxiety) and TL in childhood. Participants included 102 children (54 girls) and their mothers. Mothers’ distress was assessed five times during pregnancy, at 12 weeks postpartum, and at the time of child telomere measurement between 6 and 16 years of age. Maternal distress during pregnancy predicted shorter offspring TL in childhood, even after accounting for postnatal exposure to maternal distress and other covariates. These findings indicate that maternal mental health predicts offspring TL biology later in childhood than previously observed. This study bolsters claims that telomere biology is subject to fetal programming and highlights the importance of supporting maternal mental health during pregnancy.
Recommended Citation
Stout-Oswald, S. A., Glynn, L. M., Bisoffi, M., Demers, C. H., & Davis, E. P. (2022). Prenatal exposure to maternal psychological distress and telomere length in childhood. Developmental Psychobiology, 64, e22238. https://doi.org/10.1002/dev.22238
Copyright
Wiley Periodicals LLC
Included in
Cell Biology Commons, Maternal and Child Health Commons, Other Psychiatry and Psychology Commons, Psychological Phenomena and Processes Commons
Comments
This is the accepted version of the following article:
Stout-Oswald, S. A., Glynn, L. M., Bisoffi, M., Demers, C. H., & Davis, E. P. (2022). Prenatal exposure to maternal psychological distress and telomere length in childhood. Developmental Psychobiology, 64, e22238. https://doi.org/10.1002/dev.22238
which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1002/dev.22238. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Self-Archiving.