Prenatal Exposure to a Climate-Related Disaster Results in Changes of the Placental Transcriptome and Infant Temperament

Abstract

Maternal stress during pregnancy exerts long-term effects on the mental well-being of the offspring. However, the long-term effect of prenatal exposure on the offspring’s mental status is only partially understood. The placenta plays a vital role in connecting the maternal side to the fetus, thereby serving as an important interface between maternal exposure and fetal development. Here, we profiled the placental transcriptome of women who were pregnant during a hurricane (Superstorm Sandy), which struck New York City in 2012. The offspring were followed longitudinally and their temperament was assessed during the first 6–12 months of age. The data identified a significant correlation between a Superstorm Sandy stress factor score and infant temperament. Further, analysis of the placental transcriptomes identified an enrichment of functional pathways related to inflammation, extracellular matrix integrity and sensory perception in the specimen from those infants with “Slow-to-Warm-up” temperament during the first year of life. Together, these findings provide initial evidence that maternal exposure to climate-related disasters results in altered placental transcriptome, which may be related to long-term emotional and behavioral consequences in children.

Large‐scale proteomics in the first trimester of pregnancy predict psychopathology and temperament in preschool children: an exploratory study

“…The Hippo signaling pathway is involved in cell proliferation, differentiation, and survival, and is highly active during embryonic development. Emotional reactivity and attentional problems were both associated with members of this pathway, such as tyrosine kinases like FGFR2 and FLT1 and tyrosine kinase receptors like MET and NTRK2, which has also been found to be associated with infant temperament from the placental transcriptome (Buthmann et al., 2022).…”

Mental Health and Our Changing Climate: Children and Youth Report 2023

“…Several studies have looked at the impact of prenatal exposure to extreme weather events, which are becoming more common due to climate change. For example, individuals exposed to Hurricane Sandy while still in the womb were more likely to develop an anxiety disorder, depressive disorder, or attentiondeficit/hyperactivity disorder later in life (Nomura et al, 2022); in another study, storm stress affected infant temperament, with those prenatally exposed to Sandy scoring lower on measures of activity level and extraversion (Buthmann et al, 2022). A study in Puerto Rico also found effects of prenatal exposure to Hurricane Maria, with exposed infants showing lower levels of self-control (Martinez, 2020).…”

“…Communitylevel collective action has a host of benefits, such as forging local social connections, boosting personal efficacy, and witnessing tangible progress on real-world projects, all of which are likely to alleviate climate anxiety (Berry, 2021;Gislason et al, 2021). One study suggests that for young people (aged [18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35] struggling with anxiety about climate change, participating in climate activism may protect them from depression . Other studies have found some support for encouraging young people to engage in activism, to express their emotions, and to enhance their social connections, as ways to reduce their climate anxiety (Bingley et al, 2022).…”

Controlling fetal stress for preventing adverse health conditions in neonates and children

“…Eventhough the mechanisms of programming by pre- and perinatal glucocorticoid exposure remains not fully elucidated, recent experimental studies have reported epigenetic modifications in offspring with exposures to glucocorticoids in the parent and grand parent generation ( 21 ). In particular, DNA methylation modifications and small noncoding RNAs as vectors for inter- and trans-generational transmission of epigenetic effects has been proposed ( 25 ).…”