The integration of behavioral epigenetics' principles (eg, DNA methylation) into the study of human infants' development has mainly focused on the effects of early adverse exposures, paying less attention to protective caregiving experiences. The present review focused on DNA methylation linked to variations in maternal behavior in human infants and children. Literature search occurred on three databases (PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science) and 11 records were selected. Key variables were abstracted from each article including: sample size and characteristics, time and type of maternal caregiving behavior exposure, time and locus of methylation biomarker, presence/absence, time and type of adverse exposure. Six out of eleven records documented the predictive effect of maternal caregiving on DNA methylation, whereas the remaining five reported on the role of maternal behavior as an influencing factor of the adversity-to-methylation link. Consistent with evidence from the animal model, the quality of maternal caregiving in humans (a) might be associated with variations in DNA methylation status of specific genes involved in socio-emotional development and (b) might partially buffer the association between early adversities and epigenetic variations in infants and children. Current evidence suggests that the quality of maternal caregiving can contribute to behavioral development trajectories of human infants and children at least partially through epigenetic regulation. Open questions and methodological aspects are discussed to guide future human developmental research in behavioral epigenetics.

中文翻译：

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人类婴儿和儿童的产妇护理和DNA甲基化：系统评价。

将行为表观遗传学原理（例如，DNA甲基化）整合到人类婴儿发育研究中，主要集中在早期不良暴露的影响上，而较少关注保护性护理经历。本综述的重点是与人类婴儿和儿童的孕产妇行为变化有关的DNA甲基化。在三个数据库（PubMed，Scopus和Web of Science）上进行文献检索，并选择了11条记录。从每篇文章中提取关键变量，包括：样本量和特征，孕产妇护理行为暴露的时间和类型，甲基化生物标志物的时间和基因座，存在/不存在，不良暴露的时间和类型。在11笔记录中，有6笔记录了母亲护理对DNA甲基化的预测作用，而其余五个报告了孕产妇行为作为逆境至甲基化联系的影响因素的作用。与动物模型的证据一致，人类的产妇护理质量（a）可能与参与社会情感发展的特定基因的DNA甲基化状态变化有关，并且（b）可以部分缓冲早期逆境与表观遗传之间的联系婴儿和儿童的变化。当前的证据表明，产妇护理的质量至少部分可以通过表观遗传调控来促进人类婴儿和儿童的行为发展轨迹。讨论了开放性问题和方法论方面，以指导未来人类在行为表观遗传学方面的发展研究。