Methylation matters in child development: toward developmental behavioral epigenetics
Abstract
Abstract Child development might be conceptualized as experiences becoming sculpted in the organism’s DNA through methylation, one of the major epigenetic mechanisms of change. This article introduces some of the basic biological mechanisms of methylation, discusses research on animal models, and highlights some of the most impressive methylation studies on human development. Although assessment of methylation levels still is under debate, saliva-derived methylation might tremendously enhance the opportunities for noninvasive epigenetic studies on child development. It seems worthwhile to add methylation to the G × E equation to fully appreciate the effects of the environment on child and adult functioning.
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Through stress physiology, the feedback system extends to the genetic level to influence gene expression.
“Through stress physiology, the feedback system extends to the genetic level to influence gene expression”
From School Readiness and Self-Regulation: A Developmental Psychobiological Approach (2015) · cites this paper as van IJzendoorn et al. 2011
It remains unclear how well blood-based DNA methylation reflects DNA methylation in brain loci.
“The extent to which blood-based DNA methylation levels reflect DNA methylation patterns in brain loci specifically, however, is not clear yet (van Ijzendoorn et al., 2011).”
From Associations between oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) methylation, plasma oxytocin, and attachment across adulthood (2019) · cites this paper as van Ijzendoorn et al., 2011
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School Readiness and Self-Regulation: A Developmental Psychobiological Approach
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- Authors
- van IJzendoorn, M. H., Bakermans-Kranenburg, M. J., & Ebstein, R. P.
- Affiliations
- Leiden University
- National University of Singapore (SG)
- ORCID
- Ebstein, Richard P
- Venue
- Child Development Perspectives
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press (OUP)
- Published
- 2011-11-09
- Volume
- 5
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 305-310
- ISSN
- 1750-8592 (ISSN-L)
- 1750-8606
- OpenAlex
- W1516864513
- Cited by
- 97
- References
- 39
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 2 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 19 · 2019: 1 · 2018: 7 · 2017: 14 · 2016: 8 · 2015: 14 · 2014: 5 · 2013: 6 · 2012: 5
- FWCI
- 2.59
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Child Development Perspectives (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Epigenetics and DNA Methylation
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health › Birth, Development, and Health
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
- Keywords
- DNA methylation, child development, behavioral epigenetics, gene-environment interaction, environmental influences on development
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