Conradt Elisabeth
The University of Utah.
Child Dev Perspect. 2017 Jun;11(2):107-112. doi: 10.1111/cdep.12219. Epub 2017 Jan 25.
While the negative effects of early-life stress on children's developmental outcomes are well documented, we know little about how these processes unfold and which children are more susceptible to these exposures. In this article, I outline how studying the effects of early-life stress on children's development can be advanced by considering how epigenetic processes may contribute to the emergence of children's behavior. The study of epigenetics can help pinpoint the mechanisms by which early-life stress may affect developmental outcomes and identify which children may be most sensitive to the effects of these exposures. I conclude by highlighting the challenges inherent in studying epigenetics in children and offer possible solutions.
虽然早年压力对儿童发展结果的负面影响已有充分记录,但我们对这些过程如何展开以及哪些儿童更容易受到这些影响知之甚少。在本文中,我概述了通过考虑表观遗传过程如何可能促成儿童行为的出现,来推进对早年压力对儿童发展影响的研究。表观遗传学研究有助于查明早年压力可能影响发展结果的机制,并确定哪些儿童可能对这些影响最为敏感。我在结尾强调了在儿童中研究表观遗传学所固有的挑战,并提供了可能的解决方案。