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Incorporating epigenetic mechanisms to advance fetal programming theories.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Conradt, E; Adkins, DE; Crowell, SE; Raby, KL; Diamond, LM; Ellis, B
Published in: Dev Psychopathol
August 2018

Decades of fetal programming research indicates that we may be able to map the origins of many physical, psychological, and medical variations and morbidities before the birth of the child. While great strides have been made in identifying associations between prenatal insults, such as undernutrition or psychosocial stress, and negative developmental outcomes, far less is known about how adaptive responses to adversity regulate the developing phenotype to match stressful conditions. As the application of epigenetic methods to human behavior has exploded in the last decade, research has begun to shed light on the role of epigenetic mechanisms in explaining how prenatal conditions shape later susceptibilities to mental and physical health problems. In this review, we describe and attempt to integrate two dominant fetal programming models: the cumulative stress model (a disease-focused approach) and the match-mismatch model (an evolutionary-developmental approach). In conjunction with biological sensitivity to context theory, we employ these two models to generate new hypotheses regarding epigenetic mechanisms through which prenatal and postnatal experiences program child stress reactivity and, in turn, promote development of adaptive versus maladaptive phenotypic outcomes. We conclude by outlining priority questions and future directions for the fetal programming field.

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Published In

Dev Psychopathol

DOI

EISSN

1469-2198

Publication Date

August 2018

Volume

30

Issue

3

Start / End Page

807 / 824

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects
  • Pregnancy
  • Phenotype
  • Models, Genetic
  • Male
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Infant
  • Humans
  • Genetic Predisposition to Disease
  • Fetal Development
 

Citation

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Conradt, E., Adkins, D. E., Crowell, S. E., Raby, K. L., Diamond, L. M., & Ellis, B. (2018). Incorporating epigenetic mechanisms to advance fetal programming theories. Dev Psychopathol, 30(3), 807–824. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954579418000469
Conradt, Elisabeth, Daniel E. Adkins, Sheila E. Crowell, K Lee Raby, Lisa M. Diamond, and Bruce Ellis. “Incorporating epigenetic mechanisms to advance fetal programming theories.Dev Psychopathol 30, no. 3 (August 2018): 807–24. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954579418000469.
Conradt E, Adkins DE, Crowell SE, Raby KL, Diamond LM, Ellis B. Incorporating epigenetic mechanisms to advance fetal programming theories. Dev Psychopathol. 2018 Aug;30(3):807–24.
Conradt, Elisabeth, et al. “Incorporating epigenetic mechanisms to advance fetal programming theories.Dev Psychopathol, vol. 30, no. 3, Aug. 2018, pp. 807–24. Pubmed, doi:10.1017/S0954579418000469.
Conradt E, Adkins DE, Crowell SE, Raby KL, Diamond LM, Ellis B. Incorporating epigenetic mechanisms to advance fetal programming theories. Dev Psychopathol. 2018 Aug;30(3):807–824.
Journal cover image

Published In

Dev Psychopathol

DOI

EISSN

1469-2198

Publication Date

August 2018

Volume

30

Issue

3

Start / End Page

807 / 824

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects
  • Pregnancy
  • Phenotype
  • Models, Genetic
  • Male
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Infant
  • Humans
  • Genetic Predisposition to Disease
  • Fetal Development