How it affects a difficult childhood to adulthood is still studied, although clear consequences are known emotionally. But there are also physical consequences. Adversities experienced at an early age accelerate cell aging.
These adverse situations affect children's chromosomes, prematurely shortening the tips of their chromosomes, known as 'telomeres'. The shortening of telometers can generate degenerative health consequences, including premature aging.
This is indicated by a study by the Boston Children's Hospital and Tulane University in the United States, which is the first to find an association between adversities and telomere length in children. We talked to you about these conclusions a few days ago, and today we are back on the matter to go deeper into it.
The studies were conducted in Romanian children admitted to psychiatric hospitals. The analysis showed that the time these children spent in conditions of social isolation and abandonment was related to a lower IQ and behavioral problems.
This research, published by "Molecular Psychiatry", is part of the Bucharest Early Intervention Project (BEIP), which is developing a long-term clinical trial that follows two groups of children admitted to psychiatric: to those who remain in this institution and to those who were transferred to foster homes at various ages.
The scientists examined DNA samples collected from saliva samples from Romanian children, 62 boys and 47 girls. They found that the least care in these institutions for a longer time before their fifth birthday had a significantly shorter telomere length, compared to what was expected for their age, between six and ten years.
The researchers explain that the telomere protects the chromosome, so advancing the moment in which it loses length is related to a cut in life expectancy. Theories of aging and carcinogenesis are based on the fact that telomeres are like clocks or cell timers, since they mark the number of cell divisions, until the cell dies.
Several previous studies in adults have already associated short telomeres with cognitive defects and with high rates of cardiovascular disease and cancer. Other studies have found shorter than normal telomeres in adults who had suffered difficulties, abuse or serious illnesses in their childhood.
Definitely, a difficult childhood causes premature aging but also a lower IQ and behavior problems. A situation in which hopefully no child would be plunged and that certainly should be avoided as much as possible if we want them to be healthy and happy adults.
