Morning Symposium - Mental Health Professional Group - Nature and Nuture: Epigenetics and Prenatal Environment

Presenters

Nature and Nuture: Epigenetics and Prenatal Environment - Implications for the Mental Health Professional

Needs Assessment and Description
Epidemiologic and animal research data along with controlled experimental observations provide key information on how “fetal programming” and intrauterine conditions during prenatal development play important roles in development and lifetime health. Changes to the fetal cellular environment can affect gene expression during the formation of tissues and organs, which can result in longrange effects on function during childhood and adulthood. This live session for clinicians and scientists interested in reproductive medicine will help participants become familiar with the concept of fetal programming and relevant epigenetic research.

Learning Objectives
At the conclusion of this session, participants should be able to: 

1. Describe the concept of fetal programming and how it may affect mental health outcomes in the offspring. 
2. Discuss animal, human observational and epidemiological research, which suggests that maternal distress is a risk factor for children’s neurobehavioral development. 
3. Discuss epigenetic research that suggests pathways by which maternal prenatal distress may alter children’s mental health outcomes. 
4. Define the role of classical parental imprinting in neonatal growth and behavior.

ACGME Competency
Medical Knowledge

TEST QUESTION:
Which one of the following is a methodological weakness in the current “fetal origins” studies that weakens the impact of the results? 

1. Use of the same source for independent and dependent variables 
2. Study children were not interviewed about their perception of their development. 
3. Socioeconomic status was not taken into account. 
4. Large cohort samples were rarely used.