Prenatal programming of postnatal plasticity for externalizing behavior: Testing an integrated developmental model of genetic and temperamental sensitivity to the environment

Abstract

Although both gene- and temperament-environment interactions contribute to the development of youth externalizing problems, it is unclear how these factors jointly affect environmental sensitivity over time. In a 7-year longitudinal study of 232 children (aged 5–10) with and without ADHD, we employed moderated mediation to test a developmentally sensitive mechanistic model of genetic and temperamental sensitivity to prenatal and postnatal environmental factors. Birth weight, a global measure of the prenatal environment, moderated predictions of child negative emotionality from a composite of dopaminergic polymorphisms (i.e., DRD4 and DAT1), such that birth weight inversely predicted negative emotionality only for children with genetic plasticity. Negative emotionality, in turn, predicted externalizing behavior 4–5 years later, beyond genetic and postnatal parenting effects. Finally, birth weight moderated the indirect effect of dopaminergic genotypes on externalizing problems through negative emotionality, partially supporting a prenatal programming model. We discuss theoretical and empirical implications for models of environmental sensitivity.

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