The impact of paternal childhood adversity on offspring neurodevelopmental and behavioral disorders

Citation

Wade, Roy, Jr.; Brant, Marisa; Sammel, Mary D.; Bale, Tracy L.; Epperson, C. Neill; & Lorch, Scott A. (2017). The impact of paternal childhood adversity on offspring neurodevelopmental and behavioral disorders. Women's Health 2017 Annual BIRCWH Meeting – Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women's Health. Bethesda, MD.

Abstract

Background and Objectives Adverse childhood experiences (ACE), such as childhood abuse, neglect, and exposure to household stressors have been associated with childhood neurodevelopmental and behavioral disorders (NDBD), including developmental delay, behavioral problems, cognitive impairment, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Preclinical studies have demonstrated a sex-specific link between parental stress and offspring health. Clinical studies investigating the transgenerational transmission of ACE-effects have largely focused on maternal ACE, despite epidemiological studies illustrating the importance of paternal stress on offspring NDBD risk. As a result, we know little about the influence of paternal ACE on offspring NDBD risk. We examine the impact of paternal ACE on offspring NDBD risk. Methods Using multivariable logistic regression analysis of survey data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health—a longitudinal study of a nationally representative sample of adolescents in grades 7–12 in the United States, we examined the association between indicators of paternal ACE and offspring NDBD. Our study included an analysis of 3,130 children born to 1,865 males. Results Children born to men with histories of childhood emotional or physical abuse exhibited the highest adjusted odds for NDBD, 1.4 (1.0,2.1) and 1.7 (1.2,2.6), respectively. The association between paternal childhood emotional or physical abuse, and offspring NDBD remained significant for male but not female offspring when the analysis was stratified by gender. Conclusions Paternal early life stress demonstrated a significant sex-specific association with offspring NDBD. Future work is necessary to understand the underlying mechanisms through which these childhood experiences negatively impact offspring health.

URL

http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/full/10.1089/jwh.2017.29014.abstracts

Reference Type

Conference proceeding

Book Title

Women's Health 2017 Annual BIRCWH Meeting – Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women's Health

Author(s)

Wade, Roy, Jr.
Brant, Marisa
Sammel, Mary D.
Bale, Tracy L.
Epperson, C. Neill
Lorch, Scott A.

Year Published

2017

City of Publication

Bethesda, MD

Reference ID

8225