Intergenerational Effect of Maternal Exposure to Childhood Maltreatment on Newborn Brain Anatomy.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Childhood maltreatment (CM) confers deleterious long-term consequences, and growing evidence suggests some of these effects may be transmitted across generations. We examined the intergenerational effect of maternal CM exposure on child brain structure and also addressed the hypothesis that this effect may start during the child's intrauterine period of life.

Methods

A prospective longitudinal study was conducted in a clinical convenience sample of 80 mother-child dyads. Maternal CM exposure was assessed using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire. Structural magnetic resonance imaging was employed to characterize newborn global and regional brain (tissue) volumes near the time of birth.

Results

CM exposure was reported by 35% of the women. Maternal CM exposur

SUBMITTER: Moog NK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5723537 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature