biostudies-literatureKotsakis Ruehlmann AIntramural NIH HHSNICHD NIH HHSNIEHS NIH HHSMedical Research CouncilNHLBI NIH HHSNINDS NIH HHSSouth African Medical Research CouncilWellcome TrustOrionin TutkimussäätiöU.S. Department of Health & Human Services | National Institutes of Health5090-5100https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC12486153biostudies-literatureUnknown28(12)Prenatal maternal stressful life events are associated with adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes in offspring. Biological mechanisms underlying these associations are largely unknown, but DNA methylation likely plays a role. This meta-analysis included twelve non-overlapping cohorts from ten independent longitudinal studies (N = 5,496) within the international Pregnancy and Childhood Epigenetics consortium to examine maternal stressful life events during pregnancy and DNA methylation in cord blood. Children whose mothers reported higher levels of cumulative maternal stressful life events during pregnancy exhibited differential methylation of cg26579032 in ALKBH3. Stressor-specific domains of conflict with family/friends, abuse (physical, sexual, and emotional), and death of a close friend/rMolecular psychiatryEpigenome-wide meta-analysis of prenatal maternal stressful life events and newborn DNA methylation.PMC12486153R01 ES020392P01 ES011269PS0ES006096P30 ES019776U01 NS047537MR/S036520/1R01 HD068437R00 ES024116217065/Z/19/ZR01 HL114396R01 HL095606R21 HD085849T32ES010957MC_PC_15018K12 HD051958T32 ES010957G9815508R01 ES025531R01 ES025574R01 ES028089MR/S009310/1P30 ES023515P30 ES006096R24 ES028533Z01 ES049019MC_PC_19009Mulder RHWitt SHHaberg SEWright RHoang TTZillich LSend TSMancano GCzamara DSammallahti SHoutepen LCBakulski KMHuls ASharp GStreit FFrank JKoen NLahti JRoder SSchmidt RJCecil CAMBinder EBDou JColicino EZar HJPage CMCruceanu CLondon SJRaikkonen KCortes Hidalgo APCampbell MLCaramaschi DDieckmann LFelix JFHerberth GStein DJZenclussen ACZhang YBrunst KJTuhkanen JMagnus MCKotsakis Ruehlmann AfalseEpigenome-wide meta-analysis of prenatal maternal stressful life events and newborn DNA methylation.Prenatal maternal stressful life events are associated with adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes in offspring. Biological mechanisms underlying these associations are largely unknown, but DNA methylation likely plays a role. This meta-analysis included twelve non-overlapping cohorts from ten independent longitudinal studies (N = 5,496) within the international Pregnancy and Childhood Epigenetics consortium to examine maternal stressful life events during pregnancy and DNA methylation in cord blood. Children whose mothers reported higher levels of cumulative maternal stressful life events during pregnancy exhibited differential methylation of cg26579032 in ALKBH3. Stressor-specific domains of conflict with family/friends, abuse (physical, sexual, and emotional), and death of a close friend/r2023-01-01T00:00:00Z2023 Dec2026-06-04T01:40:16.286Z2026-05-04T03:12:31.459ZS-EPMC124861533689904210.1038/s41380-023-02010-5