Parenting Practices May Buffer the Impact of Adversity on Epigenetic Age Acceleration Among Young Children With Developmental Delays
研究62名发育迟缓幼儿发现，改善育儿实践（增加积极、减少消极）可降低逆境对表观遗传年龄加速的影响，对早期干预有参考价值。
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; M age = 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.