Maternal stress during pregnancy could influence the biological clock for ageing

(Springer) The stress that some mothers experience during their pregnancies could influence the genetic makeup their babies are born with and, eventually, lead to premature biological ageing and associated age-related diseases. This is according to lead authors Tabea Send and Stephanie Witt (Central Institute of Mental Health, University of Heidelberg, Germany). The study is published in Springer Nature's journal Neuropsychopharmacology and focuses on a person's DNA sequences called telomeres, which are essential for cellular replication.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2nZzxCO