Cold parenting can lead to premature aging and increased risk of illness in children later in life

New York: One study found that unfavorable parenting styles can have several negative consequences for children's health, including premature aging and increased risk of illness later on. Research revealed that telomeres – protective caps at the ends of DNA strands – participants who considered their mothers' parenting style to be "cold" were on average 25% smaller than those who reported having a mother whose role parental style that they considered "hot".

Research has shown that early-life stress is badociated with shorter telomeres, a measurable biomarker of accelerated cell aging, and an increased risk of disease later in life.

"Telomeres have been termed genetic clock, but we now know that the increase in stress at the beginning of life, the shortening of telomeres and the increased risk of contracting a disease, as well as premature death, "said lead author of the study, Raymond Knutsen, badociate professor. at the School of Public Health at Loma Linda University in the United States.

"We know that every time a cell divides, telomeres get shorter, which shortens its lifespan," added Knutsen. Interestingly, mutations in the genes that maintain telomeres are at the root of a group of rare diseases resembling premature aging.

"However, we do know that some cells in the body produce an enzyme called telomerase, which can rebuild these telomeres," Knutsen said. The study, published in the journal Biological Psychology, used data from 200 participants. "The way a person is raised seems to tell a story that is closely related to their genetics," Knutsen said.