O impacto do trauma infantil no comprimento dos telômeros e na dificuldade de cuidado dos bebês

Abstract

Introduction: The perinatal period is considered a time of vulnerability, with a higher risk of women developing psychiatric disorders, especially depression. Mothers often reflect about their own childhood, remembering positive and negative experiences. In the transition from pregnancy to motherhood, the history of childhood maltreatment and its consequences are risk factors that impact on the health and well-being of the mother and baby. Certain events in people's lives such as high stress situations, as experiencing childhood trauma, and the experience of a psychiatric disorder can lead to significant molecular changes such as early shortening of telomeres. Objectives: To evaluate the presence of history of childhood trauma in pregnant women, to understand the relationship between childhood traumas, stressors in adult life and the early shortening of telomeres. These women were followed up to postpartum, when their subjective perception about baby care will be evaluated, seeking to identify if there is a relationship between difficulty perceived by the mother in the care of the baby with a history of childhood trauma. Methodology: The study was conducted at the Hospital das Clinicas of Belo Horizonte, the patients interviewed at two moments, in the second gestational trimester and between 30 and 90 days after delivery. The data were divided in order to structure the studies. In the first one, 168 pregnant women were evaluated and the correlation between childhood trauma, stress factors in adult life, especially prenatal care and the early reduction of telomeres were analyzed. The second part of the study consisted of 248 women in the perinatal period and the relationship between trauma in childhood, perinatal depression and difficulty in caring for the child was evaluated. Results: The mean telomere length was 331.5 (143.8) and was correlated only with age (p = 0.006) and the score of Hamilton scale (p = 0.023). In the second part of the study, from the results of the logistic equation, it was found that trauma in childhood (p = 0.026) and postpartum depression (p = 0.010) correlate with difficulty in care. Discussion: The relationship between age and telomere length decrease was expected, since the literature points out that telomere is an aging marker. Conclusion: Health professionals should be aware and engaged in the tracing of this type of trauma, as well as in the screening of perinatal depression, seeking to prevent the perpetuation of trauma and healthy child development, with a higher quality of life for the mother and child.