Work

Adverse childhood experiences are linked to pre-pregnancy stressful life events across generations

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) shape the lifecourse psychosocial well-being, yet evidence linking ACEs to pre-pregnancy stressful life events (pre-PSLEs) across generations remains limited. This study examined the associations between ACEs and pre-PSLEs across two generations of women and explored pathways of intergenerational stress transmission. A total of 2,235 mother-offspring pairs were obtained from the Grandmothers, Mothers, and Their Children’s Health study. Maternal and offspring ACEs were assessed using the Childhood Trauma Screener. Offspring pre-PSLEs included conflict with partners, conflict with family members, physical/sexual/emotional abuse, deaths of friends or relatives, and financial stress. We used multivariable logistic regression to examine associations between ACEs and pre-PSLEs, and structural equation modeling to explore mediation by offspring ACEs. Overall, 18.17% of mothers and 14.27% of offspring report ACEs; 29.49% of offspring report pre-PSLEs. Both maternal (OR = 1.79, 95% CI: 1.41–2.27) and offspring ACEs (OR = 2.23, 95% CI: 1.73–2.89) significantly increase the odds of offspring pre-PSLEs, showing dose–response relationships. These patterns persist across all ACE subtypes. Offspring ACEs mediate 79.64% of the association between maternal ACEs and offspring pre-PSLEs. ACEs are associated with pre-PSLEs both within and across generations, suggesting a pathway of stress transmission from early life into adulthood. These findings highlight the importance of early identification and intervention for ACEs within pre-pregnancy health management. Difficult childhood experiences, such as abuse or neglect, can affect health and wellbeing throughout life. We investigated whether these experiences, known as adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), are associated with stressful life events (SLEs) before pregnancy and whether a mother’s childhood adversity is linked to her daughter’s stress before pregnancy. We studied 2,235 mother–daughter pairs in China. Mothers and daughters reported their childhood experiences, and daughters also reported SLEs during the year before pregnancy. We found that both maternal and offspring ACEs were associated with greater pre-pregnancy stress. Most of the association between maternal ACEs and daughters’ pre-pregnancy stress was explained by daughters’ own ACEs. These findings highlight the importance of identifying and supporting women with childhood adversity before pregnancy to improve maternal and child health.

Source: Communications Medicine

DOI: 10.1038/s43856-026-01931-w