Stressful Newborn Memories: Pre-Conceptual, In Utero, and Postnatal Events

In this study, a link between mitochondrial changes and infant temperament has also been suggested. Maternal psychosocial stress and lifetime trauma have been associated with decreased mitochondrial DNA copy number in the placenta (115, 116).IndividualityChronic stress links changes in the epigenetic landscape with health conditions (117). Different cell types are characterized by distinct patterns of gene expression due to developmental, environmental, physiological, and pathological reasons (117). Epigenetic mechanisms affect gene function in a dynamic way as a result of different environmental exposures during fetal development. Early-life stressful experiences, such as nutritional deprivation, lack of maternal care, or chemical exposure during critical developmental periods, can lead to phenotypic differences later in life (118). In addition to genetic susceptibility (polymorphisms, genomic architecture) inter-individual phenotypic variations are also the result of epigenetic modifications. Once we realize how different environmental triggers affect the individual epigenetic processes, we may be able to develop new means to prevent or reverse environmentally driven epigenetic changes. A recent study supports this theory and suggests that adaptation to stress is a combination of three important factors: genetic predisposition, early-life environment, and late-life environment (119). In animal models, strain, age, sex, frequency, and duration of the stressor, time point wit...
Source: Frontiers in Psychiatry - Category: Psychiatry Source Type: research