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Mother's trauma during pregnancy affects fluctuating asymmetry in offspring's face
- Source :
- Anthropologischer Anzeiger. 70:427-437
- Publication Year :
- 2013
- Publisher :
- Schweizerbart, 2013.
-
Abstract
- Objective Fluctuating asymmetry (FA) of paired body structures is considered to be a reliable measurement of developmental instability of humans. The aim of the study is to examine whether the mother's traumatic experience during pregnancy results in an increase of the level of fluctuating asymmetry of the structures of the face. Methods Average relative FA of six cephalometric traits was calculated in 269 boys aged 7-10 years from Lodz, Poland. The influence of experienced trauma during pregnancy on the level of the FA was assessed by multiple regression analysis allowing for others stressors during mothers' pregnancy. In order to assess which trimester of pregnancy of the experience of the trauma had an influence on the FA level, analysis of variance was used. RESULTS; Boys whose mothers had experienced a traumatic incident during pregnancy were characterized by a significantly higher level of facial asymmetry at the age of 7-10 years (t = 2.74; p = 0.007). The experience of trauma by a pregnant woman was only one factor among other stressors, which significantly rose the FA level of the child's face (Beta = 0.182; t = 2.94; p = 0.004). The time of the experience of the trauma--the first, the second or the third trimester of pregnancy--had not any effect on the FA level. Conclusion The experience of trauma during pregnancy can result in visible disturbances of development of offspring. A decreased level of cortisol is associated with psychosomatic disorders and may also be potentially responsible for disorders of homeostasis in the process of formation of such morphological structures of the face.
- Subjects :
- Adult
Male
medicine.medical_specialty
Cephalometry
Offspring
Mothers
Fluctuating asymmetry
Anthropology, Physical
Life Change Events
Pregnancy
medicine
Humans
Child
Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
Obstetrics
business.industry
Stressor
Case-control study
General Medicine
medicine.disease
Facial Asymmetry
Case-Control Studies
Anthropology
Regression Analysis
Female
Animal Science and Zoology
Analysis of variance
business
Social psychology
Stress, Psychological
Facial symmetry
Psychopathology
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 00035548
- Volume :
- 70
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Anthropologischer Anzeiger
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....3b620f27ff3178670e85d99b67d7d14e