SYMPOSIUM
Chasing the Footprints of COVID-19-RELATED STRESS: Behavioral and Epigenetics Effects in Pregnant Women and Their Infants

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2022.02.079Get rights and content

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Background

During 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic dramatically hit Italy and rapidly emerged as a collective trauma. Pregnancy is a sensitive period during which prenatal stress may result in epigenetic signatures (e.g., increased DNA methylation) and altered infants’ developmental programming. The serotonin transporter gene (SLC6A4) is a well-known locus of epigenetic regulation by adverse environmental exposures.

Methods

In April 2020, the MOM-COPE project was launched. One-hundred-eight mother-infant dyads were enrolled from ten neonatal units in Northern Italy. Retrospective maternal self-report measures of COVID-19-related prenatal stress were obtained at birth. SLC6A4 methylation was estimated in 13 CpG sites using NGS in buccal cells of mothers and infants obtained at from 6 to 12 hours after delivery. Infants’ temperament was assessed at 3-month-age through the IBQ-R questionnaire.

Results

No effects emerged for maternal SLC6A4 methylation. COVID-19-related prenatal stress significantly and positively associated with infants’ SLC6A4 methylation in 7 out of 13 CpG sites (rs > .24, all ps < .05). These sites loaded on a single principal component (PC1) accounting for 35% of total variance. PC1 methylation was significantly and positively associated with COVID-19-related prenatal stress (RR = 0.07, F = 7.71, p = 0.007, B = 0.16) as well as with infants’ temperamental positive affect

Conclusions

Prenatal pandemic-related stress was significantly associated with less-than-optimal temperament in 3-month-old infants, partly due to stress-induced epigenetic regulation of the SLC6A4 gene. Appropriate policy and clinical actions are needed to promote timely preventive strategies.

Funding Source

Italian Ministry of Health; Fondazione Roche per la Ricerca Indipendente

Keywords

COVID-19, Prenatal Maternal Stress, Infant Temperament, DNA methylation, Serotonin Transporter Gene

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