This study highlights the profound impact of maternal health on offspring well-being through transgenerational effects, extending beyond direct genetic inheritance. It emphasizes epigenetic modifications, intrauterine environment, and maternal lifestyle factors, influencing fetal programming and health trajectories across generations. Understanding these mechanisms is crucial for developing targeted interventions to prevent intergenerational disease transmission and promote lifelong health. The seminar explores these complexities, examining mechanisms, implications for offspring health, and the role of environmental and socioeconomic factors. Current research underscores the importance of maternal health in shaping offspring outcomes, revealing associations with chronic diseases, neurodevelopmental disorders, and metabolic disorders. Epidemiological evidence supports these findings, emphasizing the need for interventions addressing health disparities and promoting health equity. Future research priorities include elucidating underlying mechanisms, integrating multi-omics approaches, and addressing societal and environmental determinants. Early intervention strategies, preventive measures, and policy recommendations are vital for mitigating adverse effects and improving maternal and offspring health outcomes, thereby breaking the cycle of intergenerational disease transmission and promoting health equity across generations.
Author(s) Details:
Imomoemi Nwinam Thompson
NNPC Medical Services Limited, Port Harcourt, Nigeria.
Adetomi Bademosi
Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Clinical Sciences, College of Medical Science, Rivers State University, Nkpolu-Oroworukwo, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria.
Golda Lugesi Ezeh
Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria.
Sandra Ujunwa Ekesiobi
Department of Medical Laboratory Science, Niger Delta University, Bayelsa State, Nigeria.
Recent Global Research Developments in Maternal Health and Its Transgenerational Outcomes
Transgenerational Responses to Early-Life Experience: A review in the Journal of Medical Genetics discusses how early-life exposures, such as diet or stress, can have transgenerational effects on health and development. This study highlights the importance of considering exposures from previous generations in understanding common, non-communicable diseases [1] .
Transgenerational Transmission of Trauma: An article in Frontiers in Psychiatry examines how maternal PTSD affects mother-infant interactions. The study found that trauma experienced by mothers can influence their interactions with their infants, potentially leading to behavioral and emotional issues in the children [2] .
Maternal Diet and Metabolic Outcomes: Research published in Springer explores how suboptimal maternal diet during pregnancy can have lasting effects on metabolic and reproductive outcomes in subsequent generations. This review critically examines evidence for developmental programming effects in human populations [3] .
Perinatal Experiences and Future Generations: A chapter in a book available on SpringerLink discusses the consequences of adverse maternal experiences on mothers, their offspring, and future generations. It emphasizes the need for understanding how perinatal experiences can program health outcomes across generations [4] .
References
- Pembrey, M., Saffery, R., & Bygren, L. O. (2014). Human transgenerational responses to early-life experience: potential impact on development, health and biomedical research. Journal of medical genetics, 51(9), 563-572.
- Dozio, E., Feldman, M., Bizouerne, C., Drain, E., Laroche Joubert, M., Mansouri, M., Moro, M. R., & Ouss, L. (2020). The transgenerational transmission of trauma: The effects of maternal PTSD in mother-infant interactions. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 11, Article 480690. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2020.480690
- Aiken, C. E., Tarry-Adkins, J. L., & Ozanne, S. E. (2016). Transgenerational effects of maternal diet on metabolic and reproductive ageing. Mammalian Genome, 27, 430-439.
