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Maternal mental well-being during pregnancy and glucocorticoid receptor gene promoter methylation in the neonate

Version 2 2024-06-04, 14:07
Version 1 2016-09-01, 11:13
journal contribution
posted on 2016-11-01, 00:00 authored by T Mansell, Peter VuillerminPeter Vuillermin, A L Ponsonby, Fiona Collier, R Saffery, J Ryan
AbstractMaternal mental health during pregnancy has been linked to health outcomes in progeny. Mounting evidence implicates fetal “programming” in this process, possibly via epigenetic disruption. Maternal mental health has been associated with glucocorticoid receptor methylation (nuclear receptor subfamily 3, group C, member 1 [NR3C1]) in the neonate; however, most studies have been small (n < 100) and have failed to control for multiple testing in the statistical analysis. The Barwon Infant Study is a population-derived birth cohort with antenatal recruitment. Maternal depression and anxiety were assessed using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale and psychological distress using the Perceived Stress Scale. NR3C1 cord blood methylation levels were determined using Sequenom MassArray for 481 participants. Maternal psychological distress and anxiety were associated with a small increase in neonate NR3C1 methylation at specific CpG sites, thus replicating some previous findings. However, associations were only nominally significant and did not remain after correction for the number of CpG sites and exposures investigated. As the largest study to explore the relationship between maternal well-being and offspring NR3C1 cord blood methylation, our results highlight the need for caution when interpreting previous findings in this area. Future studies must ensure they are adequately powered to detect the likely small effect sizes while controlling for multiple testing.

History

Journal

Development and Psychopathology

Volume

28

Issue

4

Pagination

1421 - 1430

Publisher

CAMBRIDGE UNIV PRESS

Location

United States

ISSN

0954-5794

eISSN

1469-2198

Language

English

Publication classification

C Journal article; C1 Refereed article in a scholarly journal

Copyright notice

2016, Cambridge University Press

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