A recent study shows that stress-related epigenetic changes in children are linked to neutral maternal behavior towards newborns.

Epigenetics are biological mechanisms that affect gene behavior without relying on DNA. In this study, researchers discovered a correlation between mothers neutral or awkward behavior with their infants at 12 months and an epigenetic modification termed methylation, or the addition of methane and carbon molecules on a gene called NR3C1, when the children were 7 years old. This gene has been linked to controlling how the body responds to stress.

The researchers used data from 114 mother-infant pairs included in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, to evaluate whether minute variations in social contact might be connected to an epigenetic shift.

The data from an epigenetic analysis of the childrens blood samples taken at age seven were then compared to the observed behavior. Researchers discovered a slight increase in methylation on the NR3C1 gene was connected with moms acting awkwardly or neutrally towards their infants. This gene produces a receptor that controls how the brain, pituitary, and adrenal glands work together to form the HPA axis. The bodys primary "stress" hormone, cortisol, is produced by this axis as part of the stress response.

The HPA axis can be triggered by anything that calls for a rapid release of energy, such as responding to a genuine threat, viewing a scary movie, or exercising. The NR3C1 gene is known to activate this axis, but experts said more investigation is required to understand how methylation of that gene is related to the stress response as some studies have shown increased methylation linked to hypo-reactivity, or blunted response, while others have shown hyper-reactivity.

Researchers are trying to determine what these changes might indicate and how they occur, especially during infancy when the body is developing quickly.

(Source:  https://theprint.in/health/small-differences-in-mothers-behaviour-may-reflect-in-childs-epigenome-study/1437208/)