Associations of Cumulative Paternal and Maternal Childhood Maltreament Exposure with Neonate Brain Anatomy

Abstract

BackgroundChildhood maltreatment exposure (CME) can lead to adverse long-term consequences for the exposed individual. Emerging evidence suggests that the long-term effect of CME may be transmitted across generations, starting already during prenatal development. MethodsIn this study, we measured brain grey and white matter volumes from MR images in 62 healthy neonates at 2-5 weeks of gestation corrected age and obtained Trauma and Distress Scale (TADS) questionnaire data from both parents. ResultsWe found that paternal CME associated positively with neonate supratentorial grey matter volumes while the association for the maternal TADS scores was not statistically significant. Maternal pre-pregnancy BMI associated with supratentorial white matter volumes, but not with parental CME. ConclusionsWe are the first to report that paternal CME is linked with variation in newborn cortical volume. Our results imply an intergenerational transmission of paternal CME to offspring. Elucidating the later relevance of these associations and mechanisms involved remains an enticing avenue for future studies.