Maternal adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and DNA methylation of newborns in cord blood

BACKGROUND: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) increase the risk of poor health outcomes later in life. Psychosocial stressors may also have intergenerational health effects by which parental ACEs are associated with mental and physical health of children. Epigenetic programming may be one mechanism linking parental ACEs to child health. This study aimed to investigate epigenome-wide associations of maternal preconception ACEs with DNA methylation patterns of children. In the Center for the Health Assessment of Mothers and Children of Salinas study, cord blood DNA methylation was measured using the Illumina HumanMethylation450 BeadChip. Preconception ACEs, which occurred during the mothers’ childhoods, were collected using a standard ACE questionnaire including 10 ACE indicators. Maternal ACE exposures were defined in this study as (1) the total number of ACEs; (2) the total number of ACEs categorized as 0, 1–3, and > 4; and (3) individual ACEs. Associations of ACE exposures with differential methylated positions, regions, and CpG modules determined using weighted gene co-expression network analysis were evaluated adjusting for covariates. RESULTS: Data on maternal ACEs and cord blood DNA methylation were available for 196 mother/newborn pairs. One differential methylated position was associated with maternal experience of emotional abuse (cg05486260/FAM135B gene; q value < 0.05). Five differential methylated regions were significantly associated with the total number of ACEs, and 36 unique differential methylated regions were associated with individual ACEs (Šidák p value < 0.05). Fifteen CpG modules were significantly correlated with the total number of ACEs or individual ACEs, of which 8 remained significant in fully adjusted models (p value < 0.05). Significant modules were enriched for pathways related to neurological and immune development and function. CONCLUSIONS: Maternal ACEs prior to conception were associated with cord blood DNA methylation of offspring at birth. Although there was limited overlap between differential methylated regions and CpGs in modules associated with ACE exposures, statistically significant regions and networks were related to genes involved in neurological and immune function. Findings may provide insights to pathways linking psychosocial stressors to health. Further research is needed to understand the relationship between changes in DNA methylation and child health. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13148-023-01581-y.