Early life stress is associated with earlier emergence of permanent molars

Exposure to adversity can accelerate biological aging. However, existing biomarkers of early aging are either costly and difficult to collect, like epigenetic signatures, or cannot be detected until late childhood, like pubertal onset. We evaluated the hypothesis that early adversity is associated w...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS 2021-06, Vol.118 (24), p.1-3
Main Authors: McDermott, Cassidy L., Hilton, Katherine, Park, Anne T., Tooley, Ursula A., Boroshok, Austin L., Mupparapu, Muralidhar, Scott, JoAnna M., Bumann, Erin E., Mackey, Allyson P.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adverse Childhood Experiences
Aging
Biomarkers
BRIEF REPORT
Child
Child, Preschool
Children
Epigenetics
Female
Humans
Income
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Male
Molar - diagnostic imaging
Molar - growth & development
Nutrition
Social Sciences
Teeth
Tooth Eruption
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Summary:Exposure to adversity can accelerate biological aging. However, existing biomarkers of early aging are either costly and difficult to collect, like epigenetic signatures, or cannot be detected until late childhood, like pubertal onset. We evaluated the hypothesis that early adversity is associated with earlier molar eruption, an easily assessed measure that has been used to track the length of childhood across primates. In a preregistered analysis (n = 117, ages 4 to 7 y), we demonstrate that lower family income and exposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are significantly associated with earlier eruption of the first permanent molars, as rated in T2-weighted magnetic resonance images (MRI). We replicate relationships between income and molar eruption in a population-representative dataset (National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey; n = 1,973). These findings suggest that the impact of stress on the pace of biological development is evident in early childhood, and detectable in the timing of molar eruption.
ISSN:0027-8424
1091-6490
DOI:10.1073/pnas.2105304118