Study about the influence of violence during the pregnancy on the fetal stress hormone receptors
A research, carried out at the University of Konstanz by two working groups, the Psychologist's group led by Prof. Thomas Elbert and the Evolutionary Biology group led by Prof. Axel Meyer, suggested that a strong emotional stress during the pregnancy alters the fetal stress hormone receptors. Dr. Helen Gunter, a co-author of the recently published article "Transgenerational impact of intimate partner violence on methylation in the promoter of the glucocorticoid receptor", is a fellow of the Zukunftskolleg and member of Prof. Axel Meyer's working group. The article published in "Translational Psychiatry" - a new project of the Nature Publishing Group - had a response not only in German media (Berliner Zeitung, Focus online, Ärzteblatt.de) but also in international media such as BBC News, Daily Mail an The Telegraph.
More informations about the study are available in this press release.