Pregnancy Ages Cells, But Some Undergo Unexpected Rejuvenation

The significant stress of childbirth affects various aspects of the body. However, despite acknowledging the health toll of parenthood, there isn’t a universal standard for quantifying the biological toll on a mother during pregnancy.

A recent study led by Yale University researchers sheds light on the mechanisms underlying cellular aging during and after pregnancy.

Childbirth’s Profound Influence on Cellular Health

Investigations into human DNA and its accumulation of molecular alterations over time, known as biological aging, reveal the substantial impact of childbirth on cellular health. This impact is comparable to the effects of significant events like surgery or serious illness, causing cellular changes akin to years of aging.

Fortunately, the consequences of such stressful events may be transient and reversible. Research indicates that, unlike chronological aging, biological aging can halt and even reverse once the stressors cease.

A recent analysis of blood samples from 119 women during various stages of pregnancy and postpartum provides further insights. It demonstrates a significant reversal of biological aging following childbirth, with some breastfeeding mothers experiencing a genetic rejuvenation, reverting their biological age to a pre-conception state.

Lead Researcher Emphasizes Need for Further Exploration

While these findings suggest a remarkable capacity for the body to recover from the profound changes associated with pregnancy, lead researcher Kieran O’Donnell stresses the need for further exploration to understand the underlying mechanisms.

“There’s much to delve into,” remarks O’Donnell, a reproductive scientist at Yale University.

“Firstly, we’re uncertain about the relevance of the postpartum recovery effect for short or long-term maternal health outcomes, and whether these effects accumulate over successive pregnancies. Similarly, it’s unclear whether the postpartum reduction in biological age signifies the system reverting to pre-pregnancy biological age or, more intriguingly, if pregnancy may have a rejuvenating effect.”

Various environmental stresses can prompt organisms to make epigenetic modifications to certain genes, enhancing their ability to manage biological functions. These epigenetic changes persist as cells divide and multiply, potentially inheriting them in subsequent generations.

Epigenetics as a Benchmark for Biological Age

Epigenetics serves as a measure of biological age, offering a standardized clock for assessing senescence and comparing functional states between individuals. Adverse life experiences like limited nutrition, stress, or illness can induce alterations in a cell’s nuclear material, contrasting with individuals who experienced nurturing environments.

The study by O’Donnell and colleagues suggests that a mother’s cells accumulate approximately 2.5 years’ worth of epigenetic changes in just 18 weeks of gestation, spanning early to late pregnancy.

Interestingly, the team found that maternal weight gain during pregnancy did not contribute to epigenetic changes. However, a mother’s pre-pregnancy BMI was associated with increased cellular aging during pregnancy.

Despite the sleepless nights, sore backs, and constant diaper changes, the birth of a newborn brings a sense of relief to the mother’s body. Remarkably, it reduces biological age by up to three times the rate at which it increased during early pregnancy.

Moreover, breastfeeding mothers may experience a postpartum state of epigenetic changes that could lead to a biological age even younger than what was recorded at the start of pregnancy.

Read the original article on: Science Alert

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