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Review
. 2017 May;56(5):373-382.
doi: 10.1016/j.jaac.2017.03.001. Epub 2017 Mar 10.

Intergenerational Transmission of Maternal Childhood Maltreatment Exposure: Implications for Fetal Brain Development

Claudia Buss  1 , Sonja Entringer  2 , Nora K Moog  3 , Philipp Toepfer  3 , Damien A Fair  4 , Hyagriv N Simhan  5 , Christine M Heim  6 , Pathik D Wadhwa  7
Affiliations
Review

Intergenerational Transmission of Maternal Childhood Maltreatment Exposure: Implications for Fetal Brain Development

Claudia Buss et al. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2017 May.

Abstract

Objective: Growing evidence suggests the deleterious consequences of exposure to childhood maltreatment (CM) not only might endure over the exposed individual's lifespan but also might be transmitted across generations. The time windows, mechanisms, and targets of such intergenerational transmission are poorly understood. The prevailing paradigm posits that mother-to-child transmission of the effects of maternal CM likely occurs after her child's birth. The authors seek to extend this paradigm and advance a transdisciplinary framework that integrates the concepts of biological embedding of life experiences and fetal origins of health and disease risk.

Method: The authors posit that the period of embryonic and fetal life represents a particularly sensitive time for intergenerational transmission; that the developing brain represents a target of particular interest; and that stress-sensitive maternal-placental-fetal biological (endocrine, immune) pathways represent leading candidate mechanisms of interest.

Results: The plausibility of this model is supported by theoretical considerations and empirical findings in humans and animals. The authors synthesize several research areas and identify important knowledge gaps that might warrant further study.

Conclusion: The scientific and public health relevance of this effort relates to achieving a better understanding of the "when," "what," and "how" of intergenerational transmission of CM, with implications for early identification of risk, prevention, and intervention.

Keywords: brain development; intergenerational transmission; maternal childhood maltreatment; psychopathology.

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Conflict of interest statement

Disclosure: Drs. Buss, Entringer, Fair, Simhan, Heim, Wadhwa, Ms. Moog, and Mr. Toepfer report no biomedical financial interests or potential conflicts of interest.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Intergenerational transmission during gestation of the effects of maternal exposure to childhood maltreatment (CM): a conceptual framework. Note: The model suggests intrauterine life representing a particularly sensitive time period when the effects of maternal CM exposure may be transmitted to the offspring; the principal mode of transmission is biological, transmission primarily occurs via the psychological, behavioral, and biophysical sequelae of maternal CM on aspects of maternal-placental-fetal gestational biology that participate in the process of fetal programming of health and disease risk, and the developing brain represents a key target of such programming. PTSD = posttraumatic stress disorder.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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