AP41210

=Maltreatment affects the way children's genes are activated =

==== From researchers at the University of Wisconsin. Researchers found an association between the kind of parenting children had and a particular gene (called the glucocorticoid receptor gene) that's responsible for crucial aspects of social functioning and health.The researchers examined DNA methylation in the blood of 56 children ages 11 to 14. Half of the children had been physically abused. Previous studies have shown that children who have experienced physical abuse, sexual abuse, and neglect are more likely to develop mood, anxiety, and aggressive disorders, as well as to have problems regulating their emotions. These problems, in turn, can disrupt relationships and affect school performance. Maltreated children are also at risk for chronic health problems such as cardiac disease and cancer. They found that compared to the children who hadn't been maltreated, the maltreated children had increased methylation on several sites of the glucocorticoid receptor gene. There were no differences in the genes that the children were born with, the study found; instead, the differences were seen in the extent to which the genes had been turned on or off. Disruptions of this system in the brain would make it difficult for people to regulate their emotional behavior and stress levels. Circulating through the body in the blood, this gene affects the immune system, leaving individuals less able to fight off germs and more vulnerable to illnesses. The study also adds to what we know about how child maltreatment relates to changes in the body and mind, findings that were summarized recently in an SRCD //Social Policy Report // by Sara R. Jaffee and Cindy W. Christian. ====

References:
====Sarah E. Romens, Jennifer McDonald, John Svaren, Seth D. Pollak. **Associations Between Early Life Stress and Gene Methylation in Children**. //Child Development//, 2014; DOI: 10.1111/cdev.1227 0====

==== Society for Research in Child Development. "Maltreatment affects the way children's genes are activated." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 24 July 2014.  ====

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