Skip to main content

'Harsh' living conditions may age children too quickly

Children growing up in harsh environments and circumstances can age them. Children in severely disadvantaged conditions can experience drastic chromosome ageing (New Scientist, April 7, 2014).

Penn State University in University Park, in the United States, conducted tests on forty boys, all 9 years of age, half of whom grew up in extremely 'harsh' backgrounds and half of whom grew up in 'privileged' homes, to see the affect on their chromosomes. The researchers were particularly looking at telomeres – the caps on the ends of chromosomes that shrink each time cells divide. Telomeres protect chromosomes from damage.

The researchers noted that the telomeres could shorten under severe conditions. Some telomeres were as short as those from a person decades older.

The boys whose mothers who had changed partners more than once by the time their son was 9 years old had telomeres 40% shorter than the boys whose mothers had not changed relationships. Harsh parenting and younger mothers also resulted in shorter telomeres in their sons.

The boys whose mothers had gone to college had 35% longer telomeres on average than the boys whose mothers had not gone to college.

The researchers also noted that particular genetic mutations seemed to make children more sensitive to their environment. Serotonin and dopamine were more prevalent in the long telomeres of children from backgrounds that were not harsh. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter – a chemical substance – that transmits nerve impulses across synapses. Higher levels of serotonin help relieve symptoms of depression. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that helps control the brain’s reward and pleasure centers, and regulates movement and emotional responses. People with low dopamine activity may be more prone to addiction.

Daniel Notterman of Penn State University has cautioned that the link between shorter telomeres and health outcomes is not yet fully established. However, the research has shown “profound change” in children’s telomeres by the time they are 9 years old.

Due to the small sample size, the researchers plan to extend the study to include 1,000 children and follow them to the age of 15 years of age to determine whether there is a significant link between harsh living conditions and children’s health. Given that some living conditions are not easily prevented or changed, another step could be to determine how to mitigate any negative affects on children’s health as they grow.

Journal Reference: PNAS, DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1404293111
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn25370-harsh-world-makes-kids-chromosomes-look-middleaged.html#.U0RJcj_NvIU
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

2016 update on Rike Park, Tbilisi: from construction to busy park

From a flat patch of uninteresting dirt, Rike Park in Tbilisi, Georgia, has transformed in four years (from 2014-2016) into a busy park full of trees, flower beds, sculptures, fountains, and events. Rike (Rikhe) Park is on the left bank of the Mt’k’vari River (the Kura River) near the Old City of Tbilisi. The Peace Bridge links the right bank to Rike Park. Rike Park is below the hillside Presidential Palace and, via cable car, it is the starting point for the ride to Sololaki Ridge (with the Narikala Fortress and the Mother of Georgia statue). The glass box-shaped cable car terminus was opened on 23 June 2012, and since then the park has continually developed into a ‘people’s park’ where people can walk around, eat at the nearby restaurants, sit next to the statue of American president Ronald Reagan, climb the steps to Avlabari district, and access the sights of Meidan Square, the Peace Bridge, the Metekhi Church, the Old City, the waterfall, the sulphur baths, and t...
Post a Comment
Read more

The acacia thorn trees of Kenya

There are nearly 800 species of acacia trees in the world, and most don’t have thorns. The famous "whistling thorn tree" and the Umbrella Thorn tree of Kenya are species of acacia that do have thorns, or spines. Giraffes and other herbivores normally eat thorny acacia foliage, but leave the whistling thorn alone. Usually spines are no deterrent to giraffes. Their long tongues are adapted to strip the leaves from the branches despite the thorns. The thorny acacia like dry and hot conditions. The thorns typically occur in pairs and are 5-8 centimetres (2-3 inches) long. Spines can be straight or curved depending on the species. MARTINA NICOLLS is an international aid and development consultant, and the author of:- Similar But Different in the Animal Kingdom (2017), The Shortness of Life: A Mongolian Lament (2015), Liberia’s Deadest Ends (2012), Bardot’s Comet (2011), Kashmir on a Knife-Edge (2010) and The Suda...
1 comment
Read more

Hop on hop off bus tourism comes to Tbilisi, Georgia

City Sightseeing buses have arrived in Tbilisi. The iconic red double-decker buses, a feature of many cities around the world since the company was established in Seville, Spain in 1999, is now in six continents and almost 100 cities. The company established its Tbilisi business in November 2013, with its operations commencing in February 2014. The 90-minute tour stops at 11 major locations in Tbilisi (with 2 to 5 minute waiting times at each location): the Old City (where it commences), Freedom Square, Rose Revolution Square, Marjanishvili Square, the Dry Bridge, Konka, Avlabari, Metekhi, Akhundov Museum, the Sulfur Baths, and European Square. Passengers can hop off at any stop and see the sights, hopping back onto the next bus at any time. Alternatively, passengers can remain on the bus for the whole tour and take photographs when the bus stops at each location. There are one day (24-hour) passes (for 35 lari – about $20) and 48-hour passes for 55 lari, with family d...
2 comments
Read more