{"id":169847,"date":"2025-05-28T14:53:45","date_gmt":"2025-05-28T20:53:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/?p=169847"},"modified":"2025-05-29T15:45:48","modified_gmt":"2025-05-29T21:45:48","slug":"impact-adverse-childhood-experiences","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/health\/impact-adverse-childhood-experiences\/","title":{"rendered":"Researchers use biological samples to study the impact of adverse childhood experiences"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Do early adverse childhood experiences<\/a> (ACEs) have a lasting effect on physical health later in life? A team of researchers at Tecnol\u00f3gico de Monterrey is working on a project that seeks to draw connections between the psychological toll of these stressful events and a heightened risk of developing conditions like obesity, diabetes, or hypertension<\/strong>\u2014by analyzing biological samples such as hair, saliva, stool, urine, and blood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ACEs are traumatic events that\u2014without proper support\u2014can disrupt the healthy development of children<\/strong>. These include physical, sexual, or emotional abuse; physical and emotional neglect; witnessing domestic violence; or having family members with addictions, mental illness, or who are incarcerated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alejandra Ch\u00e1vez Santoscoy<\/a>, a research professor at the School of Engineering and Sciences<\/a> (EIC) and head of the Core Lab: Genomics<\/a>, explains that the project titled Search for microbiome biomarkers associated with adverse events in children\u2019s mental health for early prevention and diagnosis<\/em> takes both a sociodemographic and biological approach to understand how ACEs can leave a physical imprint on children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMaybe we can\u2019t prevent a child from going through an adverse experience,\u201d Ch\u00e1vez says, \u201cbut we can try to reduce the impact it has on their health<\/strong>.\u201d The project brings together researchers from EIC and the School of Medicine and Health Sciences<\/a> (EMCS), in collaboration with the Tec\u2019s Center for Early Childhood<\/a> and Fundaci\u00f3n FEMSA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Preliminary results show that children who experienced more adversity tend to have higher levels of pathogenic microorganisms in their microbiome<\/strong>\u2014some linked to cavities, periodontitis, and inflammation. Meanwhile, those with a significant number of positive, nurturing experiences showed a stronger presence of beneficial microorganisms that support immune and gut health, such as lactobacilli.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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