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We still do not understand how adverse childhood experiences in women alter the subsequent health and well-being of their offspring. Telomeres (ribonucleoprotein complexes that cap and protect chromosomes) shorten over time or from stress; for example, short telomere length (TL) has been associated with children's behavior, mood disturbances, and even overall longevity. However, the directionality of these relationships is unknown. Positing that TL could be an epigenetic biomarker (i.e., maternal distress would be associated with shorter telomeres in children), researchers prospectively studied 155 mother-infant dyads, starting in pregnancy.
Mothers (mean age, 29; black, 52%; white, 38%) answered questionnaires about 10 possible life stresse…