Evidence for interplay between genes and parenting on infant temperament in the first year of life: monoamine oxidase A polymorphism moderates effects of maternal sensitivity on infant anger proneness
Open accessAbstract
Background: The low expression polymorphism of the MAOA gene in interaction with adverse environments (G × E) is associated with antisocial behaviour disorders. These have their origins in early life, but it is not known whether MAOA G × E occurs in infants. We therefore examined whether MAOA G × E predicts infant anger proneness, a temperamental dimension associated with later antisocial behaviour disorders. In contrast to previous studies, we examined MAOA G × E prospectively using an observational measure of a key aspect of the infant environment, maternal sensitivity, at a specified developmental time point. Methods: In a stratified epidemiological cohort recruited during pregnancy, we ascertained MAOA status (low vs. high expression alleles) from the saliva of 193 infants, and examined specific predictions to maternal report of infant temperament at 14 months from maternal sensitivity assessed at 29 weeks of age. Results: Analyses, weighted to provide general population estimates, indicated a robust interaction between MAOA status and maternal sensitivity in the prediction of infant anger proneness ( p = .003) which became stronger once possible confounders for maternal sensitivity were included in the model ( p = .0001). The interaction terms were similar in males ( p = .010) and females ( p = .016), but the effects were different as a consequence of an additional sex of infant by maternal sensitivity interaction. Conclusions: This prospective study provides the first evidence of moderation by the MAOA gene of effects of parenting on infant anger proneness, an important early risk for the development of disruptive and aggressive behaviour disorders.
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There was a gene-environment interaction: MAOA 3.5 & 4 R combined with decreased maternal sensitivity led to increased anger (p = 0.003), when adjusted for confounders (p = 0.0001).
“GxE: -> MAOA 3.5 & 4 R + decreased maternal sensitivty-> increased anger (p = 0.003), when adjusted for confounders (p = 0.0001)”
From Genetics of child aggression, a systematic review (2024) · cites this paper as Pickles [53]
The MAOA-variant results and Table 3 report the interaction with maternal sensitivity at p = .003 before adjustment and p = .0001 after adjustment. But the Allele frequencies section classifies 3.5- and 4-repeat alleles as high-activity MAOA, and the Discussion says decreasing sensitivity was associated with increasing anger only in low-activity boys; in high-activity girls it was associated with decreasing anger. The claimed direction for the 3.5- and 4-repeat group is therefore not supported. (LLM, conf=0.91)
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- Authors
- Pickles, A., Hill, J., Breen, G., Quinn, J., Abbott, K., Jones, H., & Sharp, H.
- Affiliations
- King's College London (GB)
- University of Manchester (GB)
- University of Liverpool (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Hill, Jonathan
- Venue
- Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2013-06-06
- Volume
- 54
- Issue
- 12
- Pages
- 1308-1317
- ISSN
- 0021-9630 (ISSN-L)
- 1469-7610
- OpenAlex
- W2111052531
- Cited by
- 47
- References
- 45
- Citations by year
- 2024: 2 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 1 · 2020: 6 · 2019: 4 · 2018: 6 · 2017: 2 · 2016: 11 · 2015: 6 · 2014: 4 · 2013: 2
- FWCI
- 8.52
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- CentAUR (University of Reading) (acceptedVersion)
- Research Portal (King's College London) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Funders
- Medical Research Council
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychopathy, Forensic Psychiatry, Sexual Offending
- Keywords
- monoamine oxidase A, gene-environment interaction, maternal sensitivity, parenting, infant temperament, antisocial behavior, sex differences, first year of life
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Alleles, Anger, England, Female, Genotype, Humans, Infant, Male, Middle Aged, Monoamine Oxidase, Mother-Child Relations, Mothers, Polymorphism, Genetic, Promoter Regions, Genetic, Prospective Studies, Sex Factors, Temperament, Parenting, Genetic Predisposition to Disease, Young Adult, Gene-Environment Interaction
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