Maternal FGF2 levels associated with child anxiety and depression symptoms through child FGF2 levels.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Recent research implicates fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) in anxiety and depressive symptoms of childhood. This study is the first to examine an intergenerational pathway linking FGF2 levels in mothers to FGF2 levels in children, and to the children's anxiety and depressive symptoms.

Methods

We assayed serum FGF2 in 259 mothers and their children, with a range of anxiety and depressive symptoms: 194 were mothers of clinic-referred anxious and depressed children; 65 were mothers of non-referred children. We examined associations between FGF2 levels in mothers and children, and anxiety and depression symptoms. We used structural equation modeling (SEM) to examine associations between maternal and child FGF2 levels, and between maternal and child FGF2 levels and s

SUBMITTER: Lebowitz ER 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10104478 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature