Early Childhood Health and the Life Course: The State of the Science and Proposed Research Priorities

Abstract

This chapter begins with an assertion that, beyond the cultural traditions that affirm childhood as a period of special and lasting importance, a new science of child development reveals an influence of the early years throughout the life course. Through processes of “biological embedding,” early developmental experiences and exposures become neurobiologically instantiated in the brain and genome, thereby affecting trajectories of health and development for the remainder of life. The socioeconomic maldistribution of exposures to adversities and misfortune allots a disproportionate share of physical and mental morbidities to those growing up in conditions of poverty and disadvantage. These outcomes now appear related to epigenetic interactions between aspects of allelic variation-based vulnerability and the assaultive or supportive conditions of early life. Future research should thus address how epigenetic regulation of gene expression is linked to the neurobiological processes underpinning developmental psychopathology and other maladaptive outcomes. Richer understanding of how early environments can amplify or diminish the impacts of adversity exposure will provide new insights to guide the construction of novel, effective, and early interventions.

Associations between maternal stress during pregnancy and offspring obesity risk later in life—A systematic literature review

“…Development of obesity in the offspring is a complex process that is influenced by nutrition during pregnancy, birthweight, socio‐economic status throughout childhood, physical environment, and childhood nutritional factors. Moreover, the manifestation of diseases including obesity as a consequence of interaction between these factors should not be overlooked. The possible confounding roles of these factors also make it more challenging to establish any association between prenatal stress and obesity in any individual study or through a systematic review.…”

“…The context comprises social stratification, poverty, topography, history, and affliction where children are raised whereas the constitution refers to factors such as vulnerability, resilience, neurobiological susceptibility, and marginalization of the children. This discussion converges into examination of interplay between genes and environments thus defining the health endpoints.…”

“…There could also be a possible pathway from stress to child health through mother's health behaviour. The emerging discussion in the relationship between early life experiences and health outcomes focuses on interplay between context and constitution. The context comprises social stratification, poverty, topography, history, and affliction where children are raised whereas the constitution refers to factors such as vulnerability, resilience, neurobiological susceptibility, and marginalization of the children.…”

School Outcomes Among Children Following Death of a Parent

“…20 Alternatively, parental death at certain developmental stages may be more impactful, eg, in periods of rapid growth and transitions. [23][24][25] Therefore, relaxing the linear trend assumption will help to better understand the differential consequences of age at loss. Furthermore, previous studies suggested that bereaved children have higher risk of school failure than nonbereaved children, which may require more investigations.…”

“…Younger age at parental death leads to a greater cumulative deficit of parental support and over a larger part of childhood, possibly associated with worse outcomes . Alternatively, parental death at certain developmental stages may be more impactful, eg, in periods of rapid growth and transitions . Therefore, relaxing the linear trend assumption will help to better understand the differential consequences of age at loss.…”