The role of maternal touch in the association between SLC6A4 methylation and stress response in very preterm infants.

Autor: Mariani Wigley ILC; Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy., Mascheroni E; 0-3 Center for the at-Risk Infant, Scientific Institute IRCCS 'Eugenio Medea', Bosisio Parini, Lecco, Italy., Fontana C; Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, NICU, Milan, Italy., Giorda R; Molecular Biology Laboratory, Scientific Institute IRCCS 'Eugenio Medea', Lecco, Italy., Morandi F; Pediatric Unit, Ospedale San Leopoldo Mandic, Merate Lecco, Italy., Bonichini S; Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy., McGlone F; School of Natural Sciences and Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK.; Institute of Psychology Health & Society, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK., Fumagalli M; Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, NICU, Milan, Italy.; Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy., Montirosso R; 0-3 Center for the at-Risk Infant, Scientific Institute IRCCS 'Eugenio Medea', Bosisio Parini, Lecco, Italy.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: Developmental psychobiology [Dev Psychobiol] 2021 Dec; Vol. 63 Suppl 1, pp. e22218.
DOI: 10.1002/dev.22218
Abstrakt: Very preterm (VPT) infants requiring hospitalization in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) are exposed to several stressful procedural experiences. One consequence of NICU-related stress is a birth-to-discharge increased serotonin transporter gene (SLC6A4) methylation that has been associated with poorer stress regulation at 3 months of age. Maternal touch is thought to support infants' stress response, but its role in moderating the effects of SLC6A4 methylation changes is unknown. The aim of this study was to assess the role of maternal touch in moderating the association between increased SLC6A4 methylation and stress response in 3-month-old VPT infants. Twenty-nine dyads were enrolled and at 3 months (age corrected for prematurity), participated in the Face-to-Face Still-Face paradigm to measure infants' stress response (i.e., negative emotionality) and the amount of maternal touch (i.e., dynamic and static). Results showed that low level of maternal touch is associated with high level of negative emotionality during social stress. Furthermore, during NICU stay SLC6A4 methylation in VPT exposed to low level of maternal touch at 3 months was associated with increased negative emotionality. Thus, low levels of maternal static touch can intensify the negative effects of SLC6A4 epigenetic changes on stress response in 3-month-old VPT infants.
(© 2021 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)
Databáze: MEDLINE
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