<i>SLC6A4</i>
            Promoter Region Methylation and Socio-Emotional Stress Response in Very Preterm and Full-Term Infants

Montirosso, Rosario; Provenzi, Livio; Giorda, Roberto; Fumagalli, Monica; Morandi, Francesco; Sirgiovanni, Ida; Pozzoli, Uberto; Grunau, Ruth E.; Oberlander, Tim F.; Mosca, Fabio; Borgatti, Renato

doi:10.2217/epi-2016-0010

Cited by 39 publications

(55 citation statements)

References 50 publications

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“…12 Additionally, controlling for neonatal and clinical confounders, increased SLC6A4 methylation was found to be predictive of behavioural development and emotional regulation in preterm infants at three months corrected age. 6,13 These findings suggest that gene-specific epigenetic regulation might play a key role in mediating the effect of early NICU pain-related stress exposure on preterm infants' outcomes in emotion regulation. Nonetheless, longitudinal data on emotional regulation in children born preterm are lacking.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 93%

“…3 NICU life-saving procedures still entail invasive and painful stimulations, such as skin-breaking procedures, and NICU-related stress has been associated with emotional and neuroendocrine disruptions later in life. [4][5][6][7] Emotional dysregulation during early childhood is one of the most reported detrimental outcomes of preterm birth and it is sensitive to early exposure to NICU-related stress and pain. 8,9 The serotonin system is a key regulator of emotional development and stress regulation 10 and the SLC6A4 gene encoding for the serotonin transporter is known to be sensitive to epigenetic regulation through changes in DNA methylation in response to environmental exposures.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Pain‐related increase in serotonin transporter gene methylation associates with emotional regulation in 4.5‐year‐old preterm‐born children

et al. 2019

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Aim. The main goal of this study was to assess the association between pain-related increase in serotonin transporter gene (SLC6A4) methylation and emotional dysregulation in 4.5-year-old preterm children compared to full-term matched counterparts.Methods. Preterm (n=29) and full-term (n=26) children recruited from two Italian hospitals were followed-up from October 2011 to December 2017. SLC6A4 methylation was assessed from cord blood at birth from both groups and peripheral blood at discharge for preterm ones. At 4.5 years, emotional regulation (i.e., anger, fear, sadness) was assessed through an observational standardized procedure.Results. Preterm children (18 females; mean age = 4.5, range = 4.3 -4.8) showed greater anger display compared to full-term controls (14 females; mean age = 4.5, range = 4.4 -4.9) in response to emotional stress. Controlling for adverse life events occurrence from discharge to 4.5 years and SLC6A4 methylation at birth, CpG-specific SLC6A4 methylation in the neonatal period was predictive of greater anger display in preterm children but not in full-term ones.Conclusion. These findings contribute to highlight how epigenetic regulation of serotonin transporter gene in response to NICU pain exposure contributes to long-lasting programming of anger regulation in preterm children. KEY POINTS• Early exposure to adverse events may contribute to the behavioural phenotype of preterm infants via epigenetic mechanisms.• Pain-related increase in serotonin transporter gene methylation associated with increased anger response to emotional stress at 4.5 years of age in preterm children.• These findings highlight the importance of limiting early pain exposure in preterm infants to reduce the risk of later emotional dysregulation.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 93%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pain‐related increase in serotonin transporter gene methylation associates with emotional regulation in 4.5‐year‐old preterm‐born children

et al. 2019

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“…The study of emotion self-regulation with preterm infants has been performed by several authors (Montirosso et al, 2016;Muller-Nix et al, 2004). Fuertes, Lopes dos Santos, Beegly, and Tronick (2009) conducted a study with 57 preterm infants observed at three months of life in the FFSF, distinguishing three groups according to the emotion regulation patterns demonstrated over the three episodes: Group 1 with socially positive pattern, Group 2 with socially negative pattern, and Group 3 which pattern of state self-regulation was characterized by self-comforting behavior compared to the other two groups.…”

Section: Palavras-chavementioning

confidence: 99%

Interactive behaviors between mothers and their prematurely born infants in the face-to-face Still-Face Paradigm

Chiodelli

Rodrigues

Pereira

et al. 2020

Estud. psicol. (Campinas)

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The present study compared and correlated interactive behaviors of 15 mothers and their very preterm infants (gestational age: 28-32 weeks). Mothers and infants were observed in the experimental Face-to-Face Still-Face paradigm, consisting of three episodes: in the first and third episodes (play and reunion episodes), mother and infant interact freely; in the second (still-face episode), the mother maintains a still-face expression. The behaviors of the infants were allocated in three categories: positive social orientation, negative social orientation and self-regulation. Maternal behaviors were classified into positive and negative social orientation. Intragroup comparisons indicated that maternal vocalizations were significantly higher in the play episode. Compared to other studies with preterm infants, babies in this study exhibit fewer interactive behaviors and more self-soothing behaviors in the still-face episode. In addition, in the reunion episode, values of the behaviors presented in the play episode were recovered. Correlations between intrusive maternal behaviors and noninteractive or negative-interaction behaviors of the infant suggest the relevance of providing intervention to promote maternal sensitivity.

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“…Past research has suggested that infants’ socio‐emotional regulation should be particularly apparent in conditions that elicit stress, such as maternal unavailability during the Face‐to‐Face Still‐Face (FFSF) paradigm (Mesman, van IJzendoorn, & Bakermans‐Kranenburg, ; Provenzi, Giusti, & Montirosso, ; Tronick, Als, Adamson, Wise, & Brazelton, ). The FFSF is an interactive procedure in which socio‐emotional stress is elicited by the experimental manipulation of maternal availability to interact (i.e., mothers are instructed not to interact with the infant for 2 min, maintaining a still face and eye contact with the infant, namely the Still‐Face episode).…”

Section: Developmental Care For Very Preterm Infants and Their Mothersmentioning

confidence: 99%

Very Preterm and Full‐Term Infants’ Response to Socio‐Emotional Stress: The Role of Postnatal Maternal Bonding

Provenzi

Fumagalli

Bernasconi

et al. 2016

Infancy

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Very preterm (VPT) infants are at risk for altered socio‐emotional stress regulation, even in the absence of perinatal complications. Moreover, becoming a mother of a VPT infant is a traumatic event, which might affect the establishment of a bonding relationship toward the infant during the postnatal period. The main aim of the present study was to assess the association between maternal postnatal bonding and socio‐emotional stress response in 3‐month‐old VPT infants, compared to full‐term (FT) controls. Thirty‐three VPT and 28 FT infant‐mother dyads underwent the maternal Face‐to‐Face Still‐Face (FFSF) procedure to assess socio‐emotional stress regulation. Maternal postnatal bonding was measured through the Maternal Post‐Natal Attachment Scale (MPAS), which includes three scales: Quality of attachment, Absence of hostility, and Pleasure in interaction. The VPT infants exhibited less self‐directed and other‐directed regulatory behaviors during the Still‐Face episode. Mothers of VPT infants reported lower Quality of attachment compared to FT counterparts. Importantly, higher levels of Quality of attachment were associated with more other‐directed behaviors during the Still‐Face episode in FT dyads, whereas this was not observed in VPT dyads. In conclusion, VPT infants might be exposed to a double‐risk condition for socio‐emotional development, encompassing both difficulties in stress response and the exposure to a less‐than‐optimal maternal bonding.

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SLC6A4 Promoter Region Methylation and Socio-Emotional Stress Response in Very Preterm and Full-Term Infants

Abstract: The present study extends previous reports, suggesting that altered SLC6A4 methylation associates with greater socio-emotional stress sensitivity in 3-month-old VPT infants.

Cited by 39 publications

References 50 publications

Pain‐related increase in serotonin transporter gene methylation associates with emotional regulation in 4.5‐year‐old preterm‐born children

Pain‐related increase in serotonin transporter gene methylation associates with emotional regulation in 4.5‐year‐old preterm‐born children

Interactive behaviors between mothers and their prematurely born infants in the face-to-face Still-Face Paradigm

Very Preterm and Full‐Term Infants’ Response to Socio‐Emotional Stress: The Role of Postnatal Maternal Bonding

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