An official website of the United States government
Abstract BackgroundEpigenetic age acceleration (EAA) and epigenetic gestational age acceleration (EGAA) are biomarkers of physiological development and may be affected by the perinatal environment. The aim of this study was to evaluate performance of epigenetic clocks and to identify biological and sociodemographic correlates of EGAA and EAA at birth and in childhood. In the Project Viva pre-birth cohort, DNA methylation was measured in nucleated cells in cord blood (leukocytes and nucleated red blood cells, N = 485) and leukocytes in early (N = 120, median age = 3.2 years) and mid-childhood (N = 460, median age = 7.7 years). We calculated epigenetic gestational age (EGA; Bohlin and Knight clocks) and epigenetic age (EA; Horvath and skin & blood clocks), and respective measures of EGAA and EAA. We evaluated the performance of clocks relative to chronological age using correlations and median absolute error. We tested for associations of maternal-child characteristics with EGAA and EAA using mutually adjusted linear models controlling for estimated cell type proportions. We also tested associations of Horvath EA at birth with childhood EAA. ResultsBohlin EGA was strongly correlated with chronological gestational age (Bohlin EGAr = 0.82,p < 0.001). Horvath and skin & blood EA were weakly correlated with gestational age, but moderately correlated with chronological age in childhood (r = 0.45–0.65). Maternal smoking during pregnancy was associated with higher skin & blood EAA at birth [B(95% CI) = 1.17 weeks (− 0.09, 2.42)] and in early childhood [0.34 years (0.03, 0.64)]. Female newborns and children had lower Bohlin EGAA [− 0.17 weeks (− 0.30, − 0.04)] and Horvath EAA at birth [B(95% CI) = − 2.88 weeks (− 4.41, − 1.35)] and in childhood [early childhood: − 0.3 years (− 0.60, 0.01); mid-childhood: − 0.48 years (− 0.77, − 0.18)] than males. When comparing self-reported Asian, Black, Hispanic, and more than one race or other racial/ethnic groups to White, we identified significant differences in EGAA and EAA at birth and in mid-childhood, but associations varied across clocks. Horvath EA at birth was positively associated with childhood Horvath and skin & blood EAA. ConclusionsMaternal smoking during pregnancy and child sex were associated with EGAA and EAA at multiple timepoints. Further research may provide insight into the relationship between perinatal factors, pediatric epigenetic aging, and health and development across the lifespan.
more »
« less
Reducing childhood mortality extends mothers’ lives
Abstract During the twentieth century, childhood mortality was dramatically reduced globally, falling by more than 90% in the United States and much of Europe. Total fertility also fell, with the combined result that many parents who otherwise would have experienced the loss of a child were spared the trauma and negative health consequences that accompany such a loss. Here I use mathematical modeling to argue that the reduction in the frequency of child death that occurred in the twentieth century indirectly led to a substantial reduction in female mortality, resulting in an extension of female lifespan. I estimate that the reduction in maternal bereavement in the US during the twentieth century indirectly increased mean female lifespan after age 15 by approximately 1 year. I discuss implications for our understanding of the persistence of the sex gap in longevity and approaches to improving maternal health outcomes in countries that still face high levels of childhood mortality.
more »
« less
- Award ID(s):
- 2109636
- PAR ID:
- 10516713
- Publisher / Repository:
- Nature Publishing Group
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Scientific Reports
- Volume:
- 14
- Issue:
- 1
- ISSN:
- 2045-2322
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
More Like this
-
-
Abstract The present research examined children’s anger proneness, emotion understanding, and maternal sensitivity during toddlerhood as predictors of children’s hostile attribution bias (HAB) during the later preschool years. At 2.8 years (N = 128), maternal sensitivity (e.g., child‐centered behavior) was observed during mother–child play and snack, and parents reported on children’s anger proneness. At 3.3 years, emotion understanding (i.e., ability to identify emotional expressions accurately) was measured via an interactive puppet interview. At 4.8 and 5.4 years, children's HAB was assessed via child responses to hypothetical vignettes of ambiguous peer provocations. Path models revealed that maternal sensitivity predicted fewer hostile attributions. In addition, emotion understanding and maternal sensitivity emerged as buffers against the negative effect of anger proneness on HAB. Specifically, greater anger proneness was associated with more frequent hostile attributions, but only when children had lower emotion understanding or had mothers who were less sensitive. The findings highlight the interplay between intrapersonal and interpersonal factors in early childhood that contribute to a hostile attribution bias during the preschool period.more » « less
-
In low-income countries, intergenerational processes can culminate in the replication of extreme forms of health disadvantage between mothers and adult daughters, including experiencing a young child’s death. The preventable nature of most child deaths raises questions of whether social resources can protect women from enduring this adversity like their mothers. This study examined whether education—widely touted as a vehicle for social mobility in resource-poor countries—disrupts the intergenerational cycle of maternal bereavement. We estimated multilevel discrete-time survival models of women’s hazard of child loss using Demographic and Health Survey Program data (N = 195,744 women in 345 subnational regions in 32 African countries). Women’s educational attainment minimizes the salience of their mothers’ bereavement history for their own probability of child loss; however, mothers’ background becomes irrelevant only among women with ≥10 years of schooling. Education’s neutralizing influence is most prominent in the highest mortality-burdened communities.more » « less
-
Abstract A burgeoning demographic literature documents the exceedingly high rates at which contemporary cohorts of women across the Global South experience the death of their children—even amid historic declines in child mortality. Yet, the patterning of maternal bereavement remains underinvestigated, as does the extent to which it replicates across generations of the same family. To that end, we ask: Are the surviving daughters of bereaved mothers more likely to eventually experience maternal bereavement? How does the intergenerational clustering of maternal bereavement vary across countries and cohorts? To answer these questions, we make use of Demographic and Health Survey Program data from 50 low- and middle-income countries, encompassing data on 1.05 million women and their mothers spanning three decadal birth cohorts. Descriptive results demonstrate that maternal bereavement is increasingly patterned intergenerationally across cohorts, with most women experiencing the same fate as their mothers. Multivariable hazard models further show that, on average, women whose mothers were maternally bereaved have significantly increased odds of losing a child themselves. In most countries, the association is stable across cohorts; however, in select countries, the risk associated with having a bereaved mother is shrinking among more recent birth cohorts.more » « less
-
BackgroundDespite global efforts to improve maternal health and healthcare, women throughout the world endure poor health during pregnancy. Extreme weather events (EWE) disrupt infrastructure and access to medical services, however little is known about their impact on the health of women during pregnancy in resource-poor settings. ObjectivesThis review aims to examine the current literature on the impact of EWE on maternal health to identify the pathways between EWE and maternal health in low-income and middle-income countries to identify gaps. Eligibility criteriaStudies were eligible for inclusion if they were published before 15 December 2022 and the population of the studies included pregnant and postpartum women (defined at up to 6 weeks postpartum) who were living in low-income and middle-income countries. The exposure of the included study must be related to EWE and the result to maternal health outcomes. Sources of evidenceWe searched the literature using five databases, Medline, Global Health, Embase, Web of Science and CINAHL in December 2022. We assessed the results using predetermined criteria that defined the scope of the population, exposures and outcomes. In total, 15 studies were included. Charting methodsWe identified studies that fit the criteria and extracted key themes. We extracted population demographics and sampling methodologies, assessed the quality of the studies and conducted a narrative synthesis to summarise the key findings. ResultsFifteen studies met the inclusion criteria. The quantitative studies (n=4) and qualitative (n=11) demonstrated an association between EWE and malnutrition, mental health, mortality and access to maternal health services. ConclusionEWE negatively impact maternal health through various mechanisms including access to services, stress and mortality. The results have demonstrated concerning effects, but there is also limited evidence surrounding these broad topics in low-resource settings. Research is necessary to determine the mechanisms by which EWE affect maternal health. PROSPERO registration numberCRD42022352915.more » « less
- Free Publicly Accessible Full Text
-
Accepted Manuscript1.0
- Journal Article:
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-61217-w
