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Immediate and longitudinal effects of maltreatment on systemic inflammation in young children

Sonja Entringer1,2, Karin de Punder1, Judith Overfeld1

  • 1Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Institute of Medical Psychology, Berlin, Germany.

Development and Psychopathology
|January 11, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Child maltreatment elevates inflammation in young girls, but not boys, with effects persisting for two years. This highlights the need for early, sex-specific interventions to address the biological embedding of early adversity.

Area of Science:

  • Child Psychology
  • Developmental Pediatrics
  • Inflammation Research

Background:

  • Child maltreatment is a risk factor for psychiatric and physical diseases.
  • Inflammation is a proposed biological mechanism linking early adversity to long-term health issues.
  • Previous research often lacked immediate post-maltreatment assessment or longitudinal data in young children.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between childhood maltreatment and salivary C-reactive protein (CRP) concentrations.
  • To examine these associations in young children (3-5 years) immediately after maltreatment exposure.
  • To assess the longitudinal impact of maltreatment on inflammation over two years.

Main Methods:

  • Recruited 173 children aged 3-5 years in the immediate aftermath of maltreatment.
  • Collected salivary C-reactive protein (CRP) samples longitudinally every 6 months for 2 years.
  • Analyzed CRP concentrations in relation to maltreatment status and child sex.

Main Results:

  • Child maltreatment was associated with higher CRP concentrations in girls, but not in boys.
  • This sex-specific association between maltreatment and inflammation was stable over the 2-year follow-up.
  • Inflammatory effects of maltreatment emerged early in girls and persisted over time.

Conclusions:

  • Childhood maltreatment can lead to immediate and sustained inflammation in young girls.
  • Sex differences in the biological response to early adversity are evident.
  • Findings support the development of personalized, early intervention strategies targeting sex-specific vulnerabilities.

Keywords:
CRPearly life stressinflammationmaltreatmentsex differences

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