Prenatal exposure to maternal psychological distress and telomere length in childhood

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.

Current perspectives on perinatal mental health and neurobehavioral development: focus on regulation, coregulation and self-regulation

“…Although in research ‘biomarkers’, often are interpreted as drivers, they may be merely correlates of behavioral problems [48]. More research into underlying processes and drivers across developmental time is needed [49,50 ▪▪ ,51–53,54 ▪▪ ,55–57].…”

“…We refer to [73 ▪▪ ,123] for recent overviews. We cite recent reviews addressing these complex, multifacted processes involving: mother-fetus-placenta unit [78]; HPA axis and cortisol [120,124 ▪ ,125]; autonomic nervous system [125]; iron deficiency [126]; maternal inflammation and offspring microglial activity [127]; mitochondria [128]; microbiome [10,129–131]; maternal metabolic risk factors including diabetes, obesity, undernutrition, specific macro- and micronutrient intake (e.g., long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) [132–135]; epigenetic changes, epigenome wide associations studies, relevant for e.g., the HPA axis or oxytocin system [136] including DNA methylation, histone modification, microRNA and other-non coding RNA [73 ▪▪ ,135,137–139] or multiomics data (transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and microbiomics [140]); telomere length [57]; paternal mediated effects [141,142]; oxidative stress [143], breast milk composition [78]; oxytocin system [73 ▪▪ ]; serotonin functions (e.g., SCL6A4) [73 ▪▪ ]; brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) [73 ▪▪ ]; structural and functional brain alterations beyond regions previously identified as relevant (i.e., prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, amygdala (limbic system)) additionally including basal ganglia, anterior cingulate cortex, thalamus, middle and superior frontal gyri, occipital gyrus and precentral gyrus [9,31,108].…”

Parental Preconception Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms and Maternal Prenatal Inflammation Prospectively Predict Shorter Telomere Length in Children

“…The fetal programming of telomere biology hypothesis proposes that fetal exposures and prenatal factors, such as maternal stress and distress, predict telomere dynamics across the life span (21,39). Consistent with this hypothesis, maternal stress and psychological distress during pregnancy have been associated with shorter offspring telomere length (40,41). Although the fetal programming of telomere biology hypothesis posits that prenatal factors influence offspring telomere dynamics through biological pathways, few studies have tested the biological mechanisms linking maternal stress and psychological distress to offspring telomere length.…”

Prioritizing Maternal Mental Health in Addressing Morbidity and Mortality

“…Higher maternal cortisol concentrations in the third trimester have been associated with increased infant motor and cry behavior at 4 months . Additionally, maternal distress during pregnancy predicted shorter offspring telomere length in childhood after adjusting for postpartum exposure to maternal distress …”