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Category: Project

Description: Exposure to prenatal stress can have lasting effects on children’s emotional and behavioural development, however, the underlying biological mechanisms are not fully understood. This multi-cohort project aims to test the theory that prenatal stress influences foetal DNA methylation (DNAm) patterns related to glucocorticoid exposure, which may increase risk for child internalizing and externalizing symptoms. To test this theory, we build on work by Provencal & Arloth et al. (2020), which identified DNAm patterns at birth as a proxy of glucocorticoid exposure in utero and provided preliminary support for associations with prenatal maternal anxiety and depression. We will expand on this earlier work by testing whether the epigenetic proxy of glucocorticoid exposure associates with a more comprehensive measure of prenatal stress, including but not limited to maternal mental health problems, in three large cohort studies. Moreover, we will expand on the work of Suarez et al. (2020)–who found associations between the proxy of glucocorticoid exposure and time spent in psychiatric care in 7 to 10-year-olds. Specifically, we will test whether this epigenetic proxy is prospectively associated with early indicators of offspring psychopathology across cohorts, whether it mediates the effect of prenatal stress on these outcomes, and whether associations are moderated by exposure to postnatal stress.