DENVER — Preterm birth, or birth before 37 weeks' gestation, can in some cases be linked to the mother's exposure to adverse childhood experiences, or ACE's, according to research presented during the American Academy of Pediatrics 2025 National Conference & Exhibition at the Colorado Convention Center from Sept. 26-30.
The research, "The Association of Maternal Adverse Childhood Experiences with Preterm Birth of their Infants," studied 823 mothers who gave birth to 1,285 children from 2011 to 2021. A majority, or 62%, of the mothers had zero to one adverse childhood experience, with the other 38% experiencing two or more.
Data showed that among mothers with two or more adverse childhood experiences, 12.6% had a preterm birth, approaching double the rate of mothers who experienced zero to one adverse childhood experience (6.7%).
Adverse childhood experiences are defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as potentially traumatic incidents that happen during childhood such as abuse, neglect, and household instability. Children don't necessarily need to be the direct victim of these incidents in order for them to be traumatic, as witnessing them can be just as damaging.
Molly Easterlin, MD, MS, FAAP, research author and neonatologist at Children's Hospital Los Angeles and assistant professor of clinical pediatrics, Keck School of Medicine of USC, said the research exemplifies the impact that adverse childhood experiences can have well beyond a person's youth.
"These findings provide further evidence that the effects of adverse childhood experiences may be passed from generation to generation and support action through public health and policy initiatives and clinical care to prevent and mitigate childhood trauma," said Easterlin.
In addition, mothers who experienced specific traumas – physical abuse, emotional abuse, and exposure to parental interpersonal violence - had a higher chance of giving birth prematurely.
Researchers state that obstetrics offices should consider including screenings for adverse childhood experiences to help better inform patients and clinicians on how to best serve and prepare patients for birth. This could also help target families that may be in need of additional social support or require closer follow-up.
The authors received financial support for this research from the Keck School of Medicine of USC Dean's Pilot Funding Program.
