Frontiers in child and adolescent psychiatry
Maternal adverse childhood experiences and epigenetic aging in pediatric populations: a scoping review
By Chanda D, Soomro MH, Cole J and 2 others.
Abstract
Introduction
Maternal exposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) may influence aging biomarkers in pediatric populations, as estimated using epigenetic clocks or other measures of aging, such as telomere length. This scoping review aimed to identify and map the available evidence on the association between maternal ACEs and biomarkers of epigenetic aging in offspring from birth to 18 years of age.
Methods
A systematic search of MEDLINE, Embase, APA PsycINFO, CINAHL, Scopus, and ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global was conducted on 26 May 2025 and updated on 28 April 2026. The inclusion criteria were epigenetic clock studies that included pediatric populations (0-18 years of age) born to mothers who self-reported ACEs during gestation or within 1 year after childbirth using a standard questionnaire. DNA methylation analysis was conducted using biospecimens, and offspring aging biomarkers were examined. Three reviewers independently screened 1,441 articles, of which 38 underwent full-text review.