Maternal birth experience and DNA methylation

Cyrielle Holuka; Alessia Melacca; Giorgia Menta; Conchita D'Ambrosio; Sandra Morano; Jasminka Štefulj; Jean Calleja-Agius; Laura Bordoni; Rosita Gabbianelli; Jonathan D. Turner

doi:10.1017/S2040174425000133

Maternal birth experience and DNA methylation

Cyrielle Holuka, Alessia Melacca^*, Giorgia Menta, Conchita D'Ambrosio, Sandra Morano, Jasminka Štefulj, Jean Calleja-Agius, Laura Bordoni, Rosita Gabbianelli, Jonathan D. Turner

^*Corresponding author for this work

Immune Endocrine and Epigenetics

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review

Abstract

Childbirth influences maternal and new-born's future health, with the Epigenetic Impact of Childbirth (EPIIC) hypothesis proposing that labour stress affects foetal gene expression. This study explores how birth experiences relate to DNA methylation in infants, breastfeeding and mother-infant bonding. Data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children was used, including 14,541 pregnant women. The ARIES subset of 1,022 mother-child pairs provided DNA methylation profiles. Maternal birth experience (MBE) was evaluated, with mother-infant bonding and breastfeeding. Statistical analysis involved linear regression and epigenome-wide association study. Half of the mothers reported at least one negative childbirth event, with 7% experiencing three or more adverse events. Negative MBE correlated with shorter breastfeeding duration and weaker mother-infant bonding. No significant CpG associations with MBE were found. While positive MBE is linked to improved mother-infant bonding and breastfeeding, no significant changes in DNA methylation profiles were observed in the offspring. Further research is needed to understand MBE's long-term impact on child health.

Original language	English
Article number	e21
Number of pages	5
Journal	Journal of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease
Volume	16
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1017/S2040174425000133
Publication status	Published - 21 May 2025

Keywords

Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children
DNA methylation
early life adversity
epigenome-wide association study
maternal birth experience
mental health
Humans
Parturition/psychology
Epigenesis, Genetic
Infant
Male
Mother-Child Relations/psychology
Mothers/psychology
Pregnancy
DNA Methylation
Breast Feeding/statistics & numerical data
Female
Adult
Longitudinal Studies
Infant, Newborn

Access to Document

10.1017/S2040174425000133Licence: CC BY

Cite this

@article{e62271e118594ba1af5fbb7b4350544a,

title = "Maternal birth experience and DNA methylation",

abstract = "Childbirth influences maternal and new-born's future health, with the Epigenetic Impact of Childbirth (EPIIC) hypothesis proposing that labour stress affects foetal gene expression. This study explores how birth experiences relate to DNA methylation in infants, breastfeeding and mother-infant bonding. Data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children was used, including 14,541 pregnant women. The ARIES subset of 1,022 mother-child pairs provided DNA methylation profiles. Maternal birth experience (MBE) was evaluated, with mother-infant bonding and breastfeeding. Statistical analysis involved linear regression and epigenome-wide association study. Half of the mothers reported at least one negative childbirth event, with 7\% experiencing three or more adverse events. Negative MBE correlated with shorter breastfeeding duration and weaker mother-infant bonding. No significant CpG associations with MBE were found. While positive MBE is linked to improved mother-infant bonding and breastfeeding, no significant changes in DNA methylation profiles were observed in the offspring. Further research is needed to understand MBE's long-term impact on child health.",

keywords = "Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, DNA methylation, early life adversity, epigenome-wide association study, maternal birth experience, mental health, Humans, Parturition/psychology, Epigenesis, Genetic, Infant, Male, Mother-Child Relations/psychology, Mothers/psychology, Pregnancy, DNA Methylation, Breast Feeding/statistics \& numerical data, Female, Adult, Longitudinal Studies, Infant, Newborn",

author = "Cyrielle Holuka and Alessia Melacca and Giorgia Menta and Conchita D'Ambrosio and Sandra Morano and Jasminka {\v S}tefulj and Jean Calleja-Agius and Laura Bordoni and Rosita Gabbianelli and Turner, \{Jonathan D.\}",

note = "Funding: The UK Medical Research Council and Wellcome (Grant ref: 217065/Z/19/Z) and the University of Bristol provide core support for ALSPAC. This publication is the work of the authors and all authors will serve as guarantors for the contents of this paper. A comprehensive list of grants funding is available on the ALSPAC website (http://www.bristol.ac.uk/alspac/external/documents/grant- acknowledgements.pdf). JDT together with CD{\textquoteright}A and CH are funded by the Fonds National de la Recherche Luxembourg: ALAC (C19/SC/13650569 {\textquoteleft}ALAC{\textquoteright}). Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press in association with The International Society for Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD).",

year = "2025",

month = may,

day = "21",

doi = "10.1017/S2040174425000133",

language = "English",

volume = "16",

journal = "Journal of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease",

issn = "2040-1744",

publisher = "Cambridge University Press",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Maternal birth experience and DNA methylation

AU - Holuka, Cyrielle

AU - Melacca, Alessia

AU - Menta, Giorgia

AU - D'Ambrosio, Conchita

AU - Morano, Sandra

AU - Štefulj, Jasminka

AU - Calleja-Agius, Jean

AU - Bordoni, Laura

AU - Gabbianelli, Rosita

AU - Turner, Jonathan D.

N1 - Funding: The UK Medical Research Council and Wellcome (Grant ref: 217065/Z/19/Z) and the University of Bristol provide core support for ALSPAC. This publication is the work of the authors and all authors will serve as guarantors for the contents of this paper. A comprehensive list of grants funding is available on the ALSPAC website (http://www.bristol.ac.uk/alspac/external/documents/grant- acknowledgements.pdf). JDT together with CD’A and CH are funded by the Fonds National de la Recherche Luxembourg: ALAC (C19/SC/13650569 ‘ALAC’). Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press in association with The International Society for Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD).

PY - 2025/5/21

Y1 - 2025/5/21

N2 - Childbirth influences maternal and new-born's future health, with the Epigenetic Impact of Childbirth (EPIIC) hypothesis proposing that labour stress affects foetal gene expression. This study explores how birth experiences relate to DNA methylation in infants, breastfeeding and mother-infant bonding. Data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children was used, including 14,541 pregnant women. The ARIES subset of 1,022 mother-child pairs provided DNA methylation profiles. Maternal birth experience (MBE) was evaluated, with mother-infant bonding and breastfeeding. Statistical analysis involved linear regression and epigenome-wide association study. Half of the mothers reported at least one negative childbirth event, with 7% experiencing three or more adverse events. Negative MBE correlated with shorter breastfeeding duration and weaker mother-infant bonding. No significant CpG associations with MBE were found. While positive MBE is linked to improved mother-infant bonding and breastfeeding, no significant changes in DNA methylation profiles were observed in the offspring. Further research is needed to understand MBE's long-term impact on child health.

AB - Childbirth influences maternal and new-born's future health, with the Epigenetic Impact of Childbirth (EPIIC) hypothesis proposing that labour stress affects foetal gene expression. This study explores how birth experiences relate to DNA methylation in infants, breastfeeding and mother-infant bonding. Data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children was used, including 14,541 pregnant women. The ARIES subset of 1,022 mother-child pairs provided DNA methylation profiles. Maternal birth experience (MBE) was evaluated, with mother-infant bonding and breastfeeding. Statistical analysis involved linear regression and epigenome-wide association study. Half of the mothers reported at least one negative childbirth event, with 7% experiencing three or more adverse events. Negative MBE correlated with shorter breastfeeding duration and weaker mother-infant bonding. No significant CpG associations with MBE were found. While positive MBE is linked to improved mother-infant bonding and breastfeeding, no significant changes in DNA methylation profiles were observed in the offspring. Further research is needed to understand MBE's long-term impact on child health.

KW - Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children

KW - DNA methylation

KW - early life adversity

KW - epigenome-wide association study

KW - maternal birth experience

KW - mental health

KW - Humans

KW - Parturition/psychology

KW - Epigenesis, Genetic

KW - Infant

KW - Male

KW - Mother-Child Relations/psychology

KW - Mothers/psychology

KW - Pregnancy

KW - DNA Methylation

KW - Breast Feeding/statistics & numerical data

KW - Female

KW - Adult

KW - Longitudinal Studies

KW - Infant, Newborn

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=105006000837&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40394752/

U2 - 10.1017/S2040174425000133

DO - 10.1017/S2040174425000133

M3 - Article

C2 - 40394752

AN - SCOPUS:105006000837

SN - 2040-1744

VL - 16

JO - Journal of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease

JF - Journal of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease

M1 - e21

ER -

Maternal birth experience and DNA methylation

Abstract

Keywords

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this