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Maternal verbal aggression in early infancy and child's internalizing symptoms: interaction by common oxytocin

Laetitia J C A Smarius1,2,3, Thea G A Strieder4, Theo A H Doreleijers5

  • 1Department of Public Health, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Academic UMC, University of Amsterdam, PO Box 22660, 1100 DD, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. laetitiasmarius@online.nl.

European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience
|May 9, 2019
PubMed

Insights

Genetic factors like oxytocin polymorphisms influence children's vulnerability to internalizing symptoms following early life stress from maternal verbal aggression.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Psychology
  • Behavioral Genetics
  • Neuroscience

Background:

  • Early life stress, particularly maternal verbal aggression, is a risk factor for psychopathology.
  • Genetic predisposition, specifically oxytocin polymorphisms, may modulate individual responses to early life stress.
  • Understanding gene-environment interactions is crucial for identifying vulnerable populations and developing targeted interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the interaction between maternal verbally aggressive behavior in early infancy and oxytocin polymorphisms in the development of internalizing symptoms.
  • To examine these associations at two key developmental stages: ages 5-6 and 11-12.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized data from the Amsterdam-Born-Children-and-their-Development (ABCD) cohort study.
  • Assessed maternal verbally aggressive behavior via self-report in early infancy.
  • Collected genetic data on specific oxytocin receptor (OXTR) and oxytocin (OXT) gene polymorphisms (rs53576, rs2268498, rs2740210, rs4813627).
  • Measured internalizing symptoms using maternal reports (age 5-6) and self-reports (age 11-12).

Main Results:

  • Children carrying the rs2740210 CA/AA polymorphism showed increased general anxiety (age 5-6) and emotional symptoms (age 11-12) after exposure to maternal verbal aggression.
  • Children with the rs4813627 GG genotype exhibited decreased anxiety sensitivity and emotional symptoms (age 11-12) following maternal verbal aggression.
  • Significant interactions between specific oxytocin polymorphisms and maternal verbal aggression predicted internalizing symptoms at different ages.

Conclusions:

  • Oxytocin polymorphisms play a role in determining a child's vulnerability to internalizing symptoms after early life exposure to maternal verbal aggression.
  • These findings highlight the importance of gene-environment interactions in the etiology of psychopathology.
  • Genetic insights into social sensitivity can inform personalized risk assessment and intervention strategies.

Keywords:
InfantVerbal abusers2268498rs2740210rs4813627rs53576

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