Maternal income at birth linked to children’s aging estimates
An observational study linked maternal income at birth more strongly than later income to DNA-based aging measures in children at ages 9 and 15.
Our read
Populations- Studied:
- Cohort study of children
- What changed:
- Maternal income at birth predicted children's DNA-based aging estimates more strongly than later income
- The catch:
- DNA-based aging estimates do not directly measure children's health or future lifespan
- Why it’s aging research:
- It measures an outcome that worsens with age.
Editor of record: Boris Djordjevic · AgingResearch.News
Children at ages 9 and 15 were assessed in an observational study of maternal income, education and epigenetic aging—aging estimated from chemical marks on DNA. Maternal income at birth predicted these estimates more strongly than later income. Children of college-educated mothers had lower DNA-based aging estimates relative to their age. Socioeconomic gaps narrowed for PhenoAge, held steady for Dunedin-PACE and grew by age 15 for GrimAge, three DNA-based aging measures.
Girls with faster epigenetic aging at age 9 experienced their first menstrual period earlier. Higher GrimAge at age 9 predicted slower height growth between ages 9 and 15.
Why it matters
The work addresses how early in life social and economic differences become linked to biological aging.
Caveats
DNA-based aging estimates do not by themselves show children’s health or future lifespan. Other family circumstances may have contributed to both socioeconomic differences and the children’s DNA patterns.
Where the evidence stands
DNA methylation
- 197 independent labs in 39 countries
- 18 findings against
- Funders: National Institutes of Health and others
- 42 of 399 findings with company ties
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