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Exposure to maternal depression may influence child telomere length, lead to behavioral problems

Children with oppositional defiant behavior were more likely to have shorter telomeres, a marker of cellular aging that is associated with increased risk for chronic diseases in adulthood, according to study findings in Translational Psychiatry.

“Exposure to psychological distress including clinical depression is associated with shorter [telomere length] in adults,” study researcher Janet Wojcicki, PhD, of the University of California, San Francisco, and colleagues wrote. “Telomere shortening in chronically depressed adult individuals corresponds to [approximately] 7 years of accelerated cell aging… Although there are many studies of depression and stress in adulthood and environmental exposures in childhood, few studies have specifically investigated childhood behavior and [telomere length].”

Janet Wojcicki

To address these research gaps, researchers assessed exposure to maternal depression from birth to age 5 years and child behavior from ages 3 to 5 years in relation to child leukocyte telomere length at ages 4 and 5 years. The study included 108 Latino children aged 4 years and their mothers, and 92 children aged 5 years. Researchers also examined telomere length, prenatal and postnatal depression among mothers of study participants (n = 92).

Children who had oppositional defiant behavior at age 3, 4 or 5 years had shorter telomere length than those who did not have the behavior disorder (P < .01).

Multivariate analyses indicated oppositional defiant behavior at age 3, 4 or 5 years (P = .01), exposure to maternal clinical depression at age 3 years (P = .01), shorter maternal telomere length and younger paternal age at child birth were independent predictors of shorter telomere length at age 4 and 5 years. This suggests that early childhood exposure to more severe maternal depression poorly affected child cellular health, as indicated by shorter telomere length at age 4 and 5 years, according to researchers.

“These findings underscore the importance of intervening early to address behavior issues in children as well as to treat maternal depression. While long-term studies are needed, our results suggest that maternal mental health issues and child behavioral problems can impact children at the cellular level,” Wojcicki said in a press release.

Further, researchers found that children with oppositional defiant behavior had shorter telomere length, which could be related to early exposure to maternal clinical depression.

“Currently there are far more questions than answers about the myriad factors that shape and promote healthy telomere maintenance in early childhood. We may be catching a small glimpse of the intergenerational transmission of health,” study researcher Elissa Epel, PhD, of the University of California, San Francisco, said in the release. – by Amanda Oldt

Disclosure: Wojcicki reports no relevant financial disclosures. Please see the full study for a list of all other authors’ relevant financial disclosures.