Maternal childhood maltreatment and newborn telomere length: Pregnancy distress and cortisol as potential mechanisms.

INTRODUCTION

Maternal history of child maltreatment (CM) is linked to distress and dysregulated neuroendocrine stress during pregnancy, which may have downstream effects on infant biological stress. Telomere length (TL), a biomarker of cellular aging, has emerged as an indicator of early prenatal stress.

AIM: This longitudinal study examined associations between maternal CM, pregnancy distress and cortisol levels, and newborn TL.

METHODS

Participants (n = 107) participated during the third trimester of pregnancy and at 2 weeks postpartum. During pregnancy, participants reported history of CM (Childhood Trauma Questionnaire) and levels of depression (Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale), anxiety (Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale), and perceived stress (Perceived Stress Scale), and hair cortisol was collected. At 2 weeks postpartum, infant salivary swabs were collected and processed using qPCR methods. A latent maternal distress variable was created using confirmatory factor analyses. Structural Equation regression and mediation models tested associations between maternal CM, pregnancy distress, hair cortisol levels, and newborn TL.

RESULTS

Maternal CM was directly associated with higher pregnancy distress (β=0.329**) but not maternal hair cortisol (β=-0.094) or infant TL (β=-0.074). Higher pregnancy distress was associated with shorter newborn TL (β=-0.209*). Hair cortisol was not associated with TL (β=-0.094). The indirect effect from maternal CM to infant TL through pregnancy maternal distress was significant (β=-0.074*).

CONCLUSIONS

Maternal CM is indirectly associated with shorter newborn TL through heightened pregnancy distress, highlighting a psychological pathway linking maternal childhood adversity to infant biological aging. Findings underscore pregnancy distress as a modifiable intervention target aimed to interrupt intergenerational transmission of stress-related risk.