Abstract
Objective Growing evidence suggests the deleterious consequences of exposure to childhood maltreatment (CM) not only might endure over the exposed individual's lifespan but also might be transmitted across generations. The time windows, mechanisms, and targets of such intergenerational transmission are poorly understood. The prevailing paradigm posits that mother-to-child transmission of the effects of maternal CM likely occurs after her child's birth. The authors seek to extend this paradigm and advance a transdisciplinary framework that integrates the concepts of biological embedding of life experiences and fetal origins of health and disease risk. Method The authors posit that the period of embryonic and fetal life represents a particularly sensitive time for intergenerational transmission; that the developing brain represents a target of particular interest; and that stress-sensitive maternal-placental-fetal biological (endocrine, immune) pathways represent leading candidate mechanisms of interest. Results The plausibility of this model is supported by theoretical considerations and empirical findings in humans and animals. The authors synthesize several research areas and identify important knowledge gaps that might warrant further study. Conclusion The scientific and public health relevance of this effort relates to achieving a better understanding of the “when,” “what,” and “how” of intergenerational transmission of CM, with implications for early identification of risk, prevention, and intervention.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 373-382 |
| Number of pages | 10 |
| Journal | Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry |
| Volume | 56 |
| Issue number | 5 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - May 1 2017 |
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Keywords
- brain development
- intergenerational transmission
- maternal childhood maltreatment
- psychopathology
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Developmental and Educational Psychology
- Psychiatry and Mental health
Cite this
Intergenerational Transmission of Maternal Childhood Maltreatment Exposure : Implications for Fetal Brain Development. / Buss, Claudia; Entringer, Sonja; Moog, Nora K.; Toepfer, Philipp; Fair, Damien; Simhan, Hyagriv N.; Heim, Christine M.; Wadhwa, Pathik D.
In: Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Vol. 56, No. 5, 01.05.2017, p. 373-382.Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Intergenerational Transmission of Maternal Childhood Maltreatment Exposure
T2 - Implications for Fetal Brain Development
AU - Buss, Claudia
AU - Entringer, Sonja
AU - Moog, Nora K.
AU - Toepfer, Philipp
AU - Fair, Damien
AU - Simhan, Hyagriv N.
AU - Heim, Christine M.
AU - Wadhwa, Pathik D.
PY - 2017/5/1
Y1 - 2017/5/1
N2 - Objective Growing evidence suggests the deleterious consequences of exposure to childhood maltreatment (CM) not only might endure over the exposed individual's lifespan but also might be transmitted across generations. The time windows, mechanisms, and targets of such intergenerational transmission are poorly understood. The prevailing paradigm posits that mother-to-child transmission of the effects of maternal CM likely occurs after her child's birth. The authors seek to extend this paradigm and advance a transdisciplinary framework that integrates the concepts of biological embedding of life experiences and fetal origins of health and disease risk. Method The authors posit that the period of embryonic and fetal life represents a particularly sensitive time for intergenerational transmission; that the developing brain represents a target of particular interest; and that stress-sensitive maternal-placental-fetal biological (endocrine, immune) pathways represent leading candidate mechanisms of interest. Results The plausibility of this model is supported by theoretical considerations and empirical findings in humans and animals. The authors synthesize several research areas and identify important knowledge gaps that might warrant further study. Conclusion The scientific and public health relevance of this effort relates to achieving a better understanding of the “when,” “what,” and “how” of intergenerational transmission of CM, with implications for early identification of risk, prevention, and intervention.
AB - Objective Growing evidence suggests the deleterious consequences of exposure to childhood maltreatment (CM) not only might endure over the exposed individual's lifespan but also might be transmitted across generations. The time windows, mechanisms, and targets of such intergenerational transmission are poorly understood. The prevailing paradigm posits that mother-to-child transmission of the effects of maternal CM likely occurs after her child's birth. The authors seek to extend this paradigm and advance a transdisciplinary framework that integrates the concepts of biological embedding of life experiences and fetal origins of health and disease risk. Method The authors posit that the period of embryonic and fetal life represents a particularly sensitive time for intergenerational transmission; that the developing brain represents a target of particular interest; and that stress-sensitive maternal-placental-fetal biological (endocrine, immune) pathways represent leading candidate mechanisms of interest. Results The plausibility of this model is supported by theoretical considerations and empirical findings in humans and animals. The authors synthesize several research areas and identify important knowledge gaps that might warrant further study. Conclusion The scientific and public health relevance of this effort relates to achieving a better understanding of the “when,” “what,” and “how” of intergenerational transmission of CM, with implications for early identification of risk, prevention, and intervention.
KW - brain development
KW - intergenerational transmission
KW - maternal childhood maltreatment
KW - psychopathology
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85016794089&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85016794089&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.jaac.2017.03.001
DO - 10.1016/j.jaac.2017.03.001
M3 - Review article
C2 - 28433086
AN - SCOPUS:85016794089
VL - 56
SP - 373
EP - 382
JO - Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
JF - Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
SN - 0890-8567
IS - 5
ER -