Parenting practices may buffer the impact of adversity on epigenetic age acceleration among young children with developmental delays
Short summary: This study looked at whether parenting improvements would lead to slower biological aging in children exposed to adversity. Results showed that, indeed, children exposed to more adversity displayed lower biological aging when parents increased positive and decreased negative parenting practices. These findings underscore the powerful role of parenting in children's resilience when facing adversity. It's a reminder that positive parenting practices (like praising), and using fewer negative practices, can act as a shield against effects of early-life hardships.
Scientific abstract: This study examined whether children exposed to adversity would exhibit lower epigenetic age acceleration in the context of improved parenting. Children with developmental delays and externalizing behavior problems (N = 62; Mage = 36.26 months; 70.97% boys, 29.03% girls; 71% Latinx, 22.6% Black) were drawn from a larger randomized controlled trial (RCT), which randomized them to receive Internet-delivered parent–child interaction therapy (iPCIT; n = 30) or community referrals as usual (RAU; n = 32). Epigenetic age acceleration was estimated with the pediatric buccal epigenetic clock, using saliva. Adversity was assessed using parent, family, and neighborhood-level cumulative-risk indicators. Adversity interacted with Time 2 (T2) observations of positive and negative-parenting practices to predict epigenetic age acceleration 1.5 years later, regardless of treatment assignment. Children exposed to more adversity displayed lower epigenetic age acceleration when parents evidenced increased positive (b = −0.15, p = .001) and decreased negative (b = −0.12, p = .01) parenting practices.
Authors: Alexandra D. W. Sullivan, Anne K. Bozack, Andres Cardenas, Jonathan S. Comer, Daniel M. Bagner, Rex Forehand, and Justin Parent