Inflammation During Pregnancy May Prime Offspring for Anxiety
Mouse study shows that maternal inflammation linked to long-term anxiety risk in offspring: A study with mice showed that that prenatal inflammation or stress during pregnancy can trigger epigenetic changes in specific neurons in the offspring’s hippocampus, leaving them primed for anxiety-like behaviors in adulthood. Researchers say these findings link prenatal adversity to lasting brain changes and may guide the search for early biomarkers and new treatments.