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Intergenerational Transmission of Maternal Childhood Maltreatment Exposure: Implications for Fetal Brain Development
Claudia Buss1, Sonja Entringer1, Nora K Moog2
1Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health (BIH); the University of California-Irvine; and the University of California-Irvine Development, Health and Disease Research Program, Orange, CA.
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.