Abstract
Early life stress has been shown to contribute to alterations in biobehavioral regulation. Genetic make-up, especially related to social sensitivity, might affect the child’s vulnerability to these alterations. This study examined whether maternal verbally aggressive behavior in early infancy interacts with oxytocin polymorphisms in changing resting cardiovascular outcomes at age 5–6. In the Amsterdam-Born-Children-and-their-Development-(ABCD)-study, a large prospective, observational, population-based birth cohort, maternal verbally aggressive behavior was assessed in the 13th postnatal week (range 11–25 weeks, SD 2 weeks) by a questionnaire (maternal self-report). Indicators of resting cardiac autonomic nervous system activity (sympathetic drive by pre-ejection period, parasympathetic drive by respiratory sinus arrhythmia), heart rate, and blood pressure were measured at age 5–6 years. Data on oxytocin receptor gene polymorphisms rs53576, rs2268498 and oxytocin polymorphisms rs2740210, rs4813627, were collected (N = 966 included). If the child was carrier of the rs53576 GG variant, exposure to maternal verbally aggressive behavior (10.6%) was associated with increased systolic blood pressure at age 5–6 (B = 4.9 mmHg,95% CI[2.2;7.7]). If the child was carrier of the rs2268498 TT/TC variant, exposure to maternal verbally aggressive behavior was associated with increased systolic blood pressure at age 5–6 (B = 3.0 mmHg,95%CI[1.0:5.0]). No significant interactions of maternal verbally aggressive behavior with oxytocin gene polymorphisms on heart rate or cardiac autonomic nervous system activity were found. In conclusion, oxytocin receptor gene polymorphisms may partly determine a child’s vulnerability to develop increased systolic blood pressure after being exposed to maternal verbally aggressive behavior in early infancy.
Highlights
Infancy is a highly critical period for brain development
Our study shows novel evidence suggesting that oxytocin receptor (OXTR) gene variants might influence the vulnerability to develop increased systolic blood pressure (SBP) at age 5–6, after exposure to maternal verbally aggressive behavior in early infancy
Confirming our hypothesis, we found evidence for gene- environment interaction of OXTR polymorphisms rs53576 and rs2268498, both of which have previously been associated with facial emotion recognition [12,14]
Summary
Infancy is a highly critical period for brain development. During the first months of life, essential brain structures are evolving and in basic structures synaptogenesis is accelerating [1]. But substantial, stressor during this early period might impact brain development and programming of the stress systems significantly. Between 2–4 months of age, synaptogenesis in the striatum is most rapid and total gray matter volume of the striatum reaches adult size at about 4 months of age [1], emphasizing the potential impact of stress exposure in this period of life. We have recently shown that exposure to maternal verbally aggressive behavior at the age of 3 months is associated with increased systolic blood pressure (SBP) at age 5–6 years [3]. The extent to which maternal verbally aggressive behavior in infancy is perceived as stressful and thereby potentially affects cardiovascular outcomes, might partly depend on the infant’s genetic make-up
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