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Experiences in childhood affect the rest of a person's life
Last reviewed: 01.07.2025
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Scientists from the University of British Columbia and the Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics investigated the influence of gender, stress, life experience and socioeconomic status on human genomes.
The results of the specialists’ research were published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.
Scientists have tried to determine how great the influence of the environment and conditions in which a person is born is, and how the first years of life determine one’s future destiny.
Experts turned to epigenetics, a science that examines changes in gene expression. As is known, methylation of DNA molecules in human genomes leads to selective switching on and off of genes. Experts have found that this process is influenced by experiences a person has in childhood.
“There is a correlation between changes in chemical markers and psychological, social, and physical characteristics of a person,” said lead author Dr. Michael Kobor. “People who have experienced poverty first-hand have different levels of DNA methylation than people who grew up in a prosperous environment and did not experience the full brunt of poverty. And this is despite the fact that people who grew up in different environments achieved the same socioeconomic status.”
This means that experiences gained in early childhood leave a mark on the molecular structure of DNA, and therefore affect the behavior and way of thinking of an adult. This influence is due to the fact that the nature of methylation is directly related to the nature of the expression of various genes.
The amount of stress hormones produced in adults also influences the pattern of DNA methylation, but it is impossible to say for sure which came first, the chicken or the egg – that is, whether stress is the determining factor in methylation or whether it is natural chemical marking that influences the production of stress hormones.
Dr. Kobor and his colleagues also found that methylation can predict future immune responses, suggesting that life experiences play an important role in how the body responds to disease in the future.