How Can a Mother's Childhood Experiences Be Transmitted to Her Children?

Traumas that were experienced in childhood can influence adults' interactions with their children, but there may be an additional direct effect before the child is born. To determine whether a mother's early experience directly affects the fetus physiologically, investigators correlated placental corticotrophin-releasing hormone (pCRH) and the amount of childhood abuse and neglect reported by 295 pregnant women on a questionnaire. Because most CRH in maternal blood comes from the placenta, serial plasma pCRH levels were determined from gestational week 15 through week 37. Analyses controlled for relevant sociodemographic factors, substance use, and depressive symptoms.

Overall, 43% of women reported childhood trauma (CT), with a mean of 2.06…