New study in The Lancet:
Abstract
Accumulating evidence indicates that early childhood adversity might modify epigenetic patterns, particularly for DNA methylation. Although this relationship holds promise for new avenues of understanding the effects of early-life experiences, the mechanisms underlying such environmental effects on epigenetic profiles remain elusive. In The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health, Alexandre Lussier and colleagues 1 investigated the relationship between childhood adversity and DNA methylation across different developmental stages. They found that adversity experienced between the ages of 3 and 5 years was more strongly associated with differences in DNA methylation patterns at age 15 years, compared with adversity experienced at other periods between birth and age 11 years. 1 These findings not only support the well documented role of childhood adversity in behavioural and epigenetic regulation, 2 , 3 but also unveil how the timing of environmental exposure can influence the effect of early-life adversity on epigenetic regulation. 4 This study provides compelling evidence that the early (preschool) childhood period might be particularly sensitive to adverse environmental factors.
link to abstract:
