In school, you no doubt learned some elementary genetics, probably based on fruit flies because it is the simplest form of genetics to understand. Since then, scientists have made many discoveries in the field of genetics, most notably in epigenetics. Epigenetics states that you can change the expression of a gene based on lifestyle and environmental changes. Essentially, you can no longer use the excuse that you are at the mercy of your genes. You are in control of how those genes ultimately express, and you can pass these changes on to your children.
How it works
According to Dr. Bruce Lipton, environmental stress can lead to changes in DNA and the switching on and off of genes. The genes are able to change with changes in environmental stimuli. Changes in the severity of the expression of defective genes can also be improved by prenatal conditions. The nutritional status of the mother during pregnancy plays a large role in how these defective genes will manifest in the newborn and early developmental stages of childhood. However, Dr. Lipton also cites the importance of the mother’s attitude during her pregnancy. The emotions coursing through the mother’s body create chemical reactions which are passed through the placenta on to the growing fetus. It is well known that stress hormones are harmful to the body, but positive emotions and their effects are not often considered. These biochemical changes affect both the mother and fetus and can have an even bigger influence on the fetus due to its rapid development in the womb. The largest affects come from chronic stress and abuse situations. Parents must first possess the knowledge that they have so much influence over the child in utero and realize that every attempt should be made to create a feeling of safety both in the mother and in the child immediately after birth.
New research published in the September 2012 issue of Nature Medicine shows that genes in people exhibiting severe depression cause actual changes in the size of the prefrontal cortex and the way in which the synapses work. Nerve signals pass between synapses, and the resulting neural deficits are caused by a higher level of GATA1 which is a transcription factor that turns this particular gene on and off. Taken together with Dr. Lipton’s discussion of prenatal gene expression, it appears that more serious effects on the fetus can also be triggered during a pregnancy in a woman who is severely or chronically depressed during the gestation period.
In a 2010 paper published by the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University, scientists found that in addition to these temporary changes from exposure to environmental stresses as expressed through the body of the mother, there may also be some lasting changes that occur. The changes that happen in the fetus can become “permanent” and be passed down to their children through alterations to their eggs or sperm. The modifications may not be able to be reversed. Exposure to extreme stress levels may also predispose children to mental illness, heart disease, and diabetes later in life. Also to be considered are the environmental chemicals that do not come from emotions but from pharmaceuticals, vaccinations, and body care products. These chemicals enter the body and can trigger the same type of lasting changes that emotional upsets do.
Sources for this article include
developingchild.harvard.edu/index.php/download_file/-/.../666
http://birthpsychology.com/free-article/maternal-emotions-and-human-development
http://www.nih.gov/researchmatters/september2012/09102012depression.htm
