Childhood Trauma can Affect the Timing of Motherhood

Women who have experienced childhood trauma become mothers much earlier compared to those with a more stable childhood environment, reports a new study.

Young women who served in the war became mothers earlier and had more kids than their peers who did not participate in the war, reveals a new study. The findings of the study are published in the journal Nature Communications.//

The trauma children experience from living in war zones, natural disasters or perhaps even epidemics can have unexpected effects that resurface later in their lives.

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Five percent of those who went to a psychiatric clinic at age 18 in the study, might have suffered from trauma from when they were kids, finds a new study.

‘Child volunteers in a women's paramilitary organization in World War 2 have accelerated reproductive schedules. ’

During the Second World War, thousands of Finnish women and girls volunteered to aid in the war effort as part of the paramilitary organization 'Lotta Svärd,' exposing some to the trauma of war. Researcher and lead author of the study Robert Lynch from the University of Turku used extensive data collected on these volunteers to study the effects of childhood trauma on adults.

The study showed that young girls and women who served in the war became mothers earlier and had more children compared to women of the same age who did not participate in the war effort.

If we can measure the effects of trauma on basic things such as the timing of motherhood, then it almost certainly has major effects on many of our other important behaviors, such as overall aversion to risk, sociality or the pace of sexual development, explains Lynch.

Childhood Trauma Linked To Higher Anxiety, Depression Risk in Head and Neck Cancer Patients
Head and neck cancer (HNC) patients who suffered childhood trauma have higher levels of mental health problems such as anxiety and depression that may affect their treatment and prognosis.

This study is groundbreaking because it overcomes many of the pitfalls of research on humans that have made it difficult to know whether trauma is actually the root cause of starting a family at a younger age. The extensive dataset made it possible for us to compare women before and after the war and also take family background into account by comparing sisters. This is strong evidence in support of the idea that trauma affects reproductive schedules, adds senior author, Researcher John Loehr from the University of Helsinki.

The study has clear relevance for the millions of children and adults worldwide who experience trauma through wars. However, relevance likely also extends to other sources of trauma, such as natural disasters or even the current COVID-19 epidemic.

Poor Health of Women at Midlife may be Linked to Childhood Trauma
Experiencing trauma in childhood affects the decision-making skills of women which may be linked to social and biological risks such as early child birth outside marriage, leading to more health issues later in life.

Evolutionary theory predicts that individuals experiencing an unstable environment with high mortality are better off reproducing sooner rather than taking the risk of not having the chance later.

There appears to be a sensitivity window that extends from childhood into early adulthood, where behavior adjusts to match the circumstances experienced. The consequences can be far-reaching even after the situation stabilizes. Childhood trauma can influence people's adult lives in ways that they are unaware of, such as the timing of their motherhood, explains Academy Professor Virpi Lummaa from the University of Turku.

Childhood Trauma Tied to Lasting Effect on Brain Connectivity
In patients with major depressive disorder, while the strongest correlations were with childhood trauma, abnormal network connectivity was also associated with current symptoms of depression.

Source-Eurekalert