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Extremely low birth weight babies grown up: Gene-environment interaction predicts internalizing problems in the third

Ayelet Lahat1, Ryan J van Lieshout1, Karen J Mathewson1

  • 1McMaster University.

Development and Psychopathology
|July 16, 2016
PubMed

Insights

Extremely low birth weight (ELBW) survivors, especially those born small for gestational age (SGA), with a specific serotonin transporter gene variant, face higher risks for internalizing problems like depression into adulthood.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Genetics
  • Developmental Psychology

Background:

  • Extremely low birth weight (ELBW) infants experience significant early life stress.
  • ELBW survivors born small for gestational age (SGA) face greater adversity than those appropriate for gestational age (AGA).
  • ELBW survivors, particularly SGA, exhibit increased risk for internalizing problems compared to normal birth weight (NBW) controls.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate gene-environment interactions in predicting psychopathology among the oldest longitudinal cohort of ELBW survivors into adulthood.
  • To examine the association between the serotonin transporter linked polymorphic region gene (5-HTTLPR) and internalizing problems in ELBW survivors.

Main Methods:

  • Longitudinal study of ELBW survivors followed into their mid-20s and mid-30s.
  • Participants provided buccal cells for genetic analysis (5-HTTLPR).
  • Internalizing problems assessed using the Young Adult Self-Report.

Main Results:

  • ELBW/SGA individuals carrying the 5-HTTLPR short allele reported increased internalizing problems, notably depression.
  • These increased problems were observed during the third and fourth decades of life.
  • This study is the first to report gene-environment interactions predicting psychopathology in ELBW survivors.

Conclusions:

  • The 5-HTTLPR short allele may confer vulnerability to psychopathology in ELBW/SGA individuals.
  • Findings suggest neurobiological pathways linking early adversity, genetics, and adult psychopathology.
  • This research highlights the long-term mental health risks for ELBW survivors, particularly those born SGA.

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