A recent study involving men who experienced early life trauma has displayed surprising results. It involved 28 Caucasian men, all of whom had experienced some form of abuse or neglect as a child. The results suggest that as the amount of early trauma increased amongst participants, so did the reduction in microRNAs.
This is an example of the type of information found on the internet that should not be taken at face value. Psychologists have known for a long time that traumatic experiences can lead to behavioural problems in offspring, but there has been little understanding as to why. With only 28 participants, the results of this research are inconclusive and could simply be coincidental. For example, the participants could be stressed or unhealthy in the present and their past trauma may have nothing to do with the quality of their sperm.
If you’re hoping to start a family and have come across any questionable or dramatic new research, you should not be concerned. There are many other extraneous factors that can influence the mental health of your future child and isolated studies with statistically irrelevant sample sizes should not be trusted. There are multiple factors for both yourself and your partner, such as leading an active and healthy lifestyle which can influence your baby’s health.
If scientists and doctors think it valid, more studies will be carried out to validate the results and further explore the intergenerational effects, involving a greater number of participants. In the meantime, if you are worried about anything concerning the conception of a child, please don’t hesitate to contact us via telephone or email and our expert staff will be happy to help. More importantly, please do not always believe what you read on the internet.
