Gender-specific associations of pregnancy-related anxiety with placental epigenetic patterning of glucocorticoid response genes and preschooler's emotional symptoms and hyperactivity.

ABSTRACT:

Backgroud

We have recently reported that maternal prenatal pregnancy-related anxiety predicts preschoolers' emotional and behavioral development in a gender-dependent manner. This study aims to test for this gender-specific effect in a different cohort and investigate whether the gender difference was specific to placental methylation of genes regulating glucocorticoids.

Methods

A total of 2405 mother-child pairs from the Ma'anshan Birth Cohort Study were included in present study. The maternal pregnancy-related anxiety symptoms were evaluated with the Pregnancy-Related Anxiety Questionnaire in the third trimester of pregnancy. Child neurobehavior was assessed with the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire at 4 years old. Placental methylation of FKBP5, NR3C1 and HSD11B2

SUBMITTER: Liu H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8555194 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature