Early life stress is associated with earlier emergence of permanent molars

Cassidy L. McDermott, Katherine Hilton, Anne T. Park, Ursula A. Tooley, Austin L. Boroshok, Muralidhar Mupparapu, JoAnna M. Scott, Erin E. Bumann and Allyson P. Mackey ()
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Cassidy L. McDermott: Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104
Katherine Hilton: School of Dental Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104
Anne T. Park: Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104
Ursula A. Tooley: Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104
Austin L. Boroshok: Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104
Muralidhar Mupparapu: School of Dental Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104
JoAnna M. Scott: School of Dentistry, University of Missouri−Kansas City, Kansas City, MO 64108
Erin E. Bumann: School of Dentistry, University of Missouri−Kansas City, Kansas City, MO 64108
Allyson P. Mackey: Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2021, vol. 118, issue 24, e2105304118

Abstract: Exposure to adversity can accelerate biological aging. However, existing biomarkers of early aging are either costly and difficult to collect, like epigenetic signatures, or cannot be detected until late childhood, like pubertal onset. We evaluated the hypothesis that early adversity is associated with earlier molar eruption, an easily assessed measure that has been used to track the length of childhood across primates. In a preregistered analysis ( n = 117, ages 4 to 7 y), we demonstrate that lower family income and exposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are significantly associated with earlier eruption of the first permanent molars, as rated in T2-weighted magnetic resonance images (MRI). We replicate relationships between income and molar eruption in a population-representative dataset (National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey; n = 1,973). These findings suggest that the impact of stress on the pace of biological development is evident in early childhood, and detectable in the timing of molar eruption.

Keywords: income; adversity; molar eruption; development (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:nas:journl:v:118:y:2021:p:e2105304118

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