Transformative Role of Epigenetics in Child Development Research: Commentary on the Special Section

Abstract

Lester, Conradt, and Marsit (2016) have assembled a set of articles that bring to readers of Child Development the scope and impact of the exponentially growing research on epigenetics and child development. This commentary aims to place this work in a broader context of theory and research by (a) providing a conceptual framework for developmental scientists who may be only moderately familiar with this emergent field; (b) considering these contributions in relation to the current status of work, highlighting its transformative nature; (c) suggesting cautions to keep in mind, while simultaneously clarifying that these do not undermine important new insights; and (d) identifying the prospects for future work that builds on the progress reflected in this special section.

In utero Exposure to Germinated Brown Rice and Its GABA Extract Attenuates High-Fat-Diet-Induced Insulin Resistance in Rat Offspring

“…An ever growing number of studies on epigenetics as a whole, including social epigenetics and child development, greatly emphasize the intricate interaction between genes and the environment as well as between nature and nurture [29]. For instance, incubated female larvae of honey bees develop into queens and sterile worker bees in the presence and the absence of royal jelly, respectively, highlighting the important role nutrition plays in development [30].…”

Malleability, plasticity, and individuality: How children learn and develop in context1

“…Rather, genes act as followers, not prime movers, in developmental processes. As packages of biological instructions, genes require signals to determine which processes are carried out, with social and physical contexts influencing if, when, how, and which genes are expressed (Keating, 2016;Moore, 2015;Slavich & Cole, 2013). This conception of development runs counter to genetic reductionist views of evolutionary change that see genes as the primary mover in human development; to trait theories that posit that temperament, intelligence, and personality are determined by genes; and to conceptions of development as a static, fixed-stepped ladder (Fischer & Bidell, 2006;Lerner & Overton, 2017).…”

“…Chemical signals derived from environmental influence-"epigenetic signatures"-affect when and how genes are switched on and off, and whether the change is temporary or permanent. This process begins before conception (via parental experiences) and contributes to the transmission of behaviors and experiences to future generations (e.g., Keating, 2016;Meaney, 2010), as well as to qualitative changes in our In this article, we define foundational skills according to the definition provided by Stafford-Brizard (2016). Identified through research in the fields of neuroscience and child development, such skills are those that all children need for healthy development and learning, including the bonds that children make with adults, which provide emotional security; the skills to cope with and manage stressful conditions; and the regulation of emotion and attention to effectively engage and accomplish goals.…”

An epigenetic pathway approach to investigating associations between prenatal exposure to maternal mood disorder and newborn neurobehavior

“…They also provide more precise mechanistic insights into the nature of how environmental exposures or insults may affect later child behavior (Keating, 2016). …”