Doctoral Dissertation Improvement: Intergenerational effects of maternal stress in pregnancy: Epigenetic Mechanisms

Northwestern University, Evanston IL

Investigators

Abstract

Humans have evolved to be biologically responsive to the environment in which they grow and develop. One environment of increasing interest is the intrauterine environment, since this represents a period when fetal biology is directly influenced by maternal biology, which itself is shaped by a woman's lifetime of experiences. Interestingly, women with higher stress hormones in pregnancy tend to give birth to babies with altered stress physiology and increased risk of developing disease in later life. While these associations have now been documented in a number of populations, the specific aspects of maternal environmental experience that shape stress physiology, as well as the molecular mechanisms that underlie the intergenerational transmission of stress experience, remain poorly understood. In order to clarify these issues, this study by doctoral student Zaneta Thayer (Northwestern University), under the guidance of Dr. Christopher Kuzawa, addresses the following aims: 1) Determine what aspects of maternal social environment are associated with stress hormones during pregnancy; 2) Evaluate whether the mother's stress hormones predict stress physiology in their offspring during infancy; and 3) Investigate whether changes in offspring epigenetic markings, which modify patterns of gene expression, are responsible for the intergenerational transmission of stress physiology. Data will come from a socioeconomically- and ethnically-diverse sample of pregnant women living in Auckland, New Zealand. The findings of this project will help clarify whether infants inherit a biological but non-genomic imprint of maternal stress experience. It thus will make an important contribution to our understanding of how inequalities within society, which shape exposure to social stressors, can shape disparities in biology and health across generations. Additionally, this project supports training and professional development of an underrepresented minority female graduate student. The Co-PI has organized outreach events for local midwives, obstetricians and public health practitioners in New Zealand to report study findings of potential value to these professionals and their populations.