DNA methylation in cord blood in association with prenatal depressive symptoms

Abstract Background: Prenatal symptoms of depression (PND) and anxiety afect up to every third pregnancy. Children of mothers with mental health problems are at higher risk of developmental problems, possibly through epigenetic mechanisms together with other factors such as genetic and environmental. We investigated DNA methylation in cord blood in relation to PND, taking into consideration a history of depression, co-morbidity with anxiety and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) use, and stratifed by sex of the child. Mothers (N=373) prospectively flled out web-based questionnaires regarding mood symptoms and SSRI use throughout pregnancy. Cord blood was collected at birth and DNA methylation was measured using Illumina MethylationEPIC array at 850 000 CpG sites throughout the genome. Diferentially methylated regions were identifed using Kruskal–Wallis test, and BenjaminiHochberg adjusted p-values