Children who suffer abuse are more likely to age faster, while those who endure food insecurity or neglect may develop more slowly, according to new research led by the University of Washington.

Violence, psychological or emotional abuse, deprivation, and neglect—adverse childhood experiences—can affect both epigenetic, or cellular, aging and biological development, the study finds. The new study links violence exposure in childhood with accelerated aging, and demonstrates that different forms of adversity during childhood have different impacts on the aging process.

“Exposure to violence in childhood accelerates biological aging in children as young as 8 years old,” said Katie McLaughlin, now an assistant professor at Harvard University who led the study while on the faculty of the UW Department of Psychology. “Our findings suggest that some forms of early adversity accelerate the aging process beginning very early in life, which may contribute to the high rates of health problems commonly observed among children who experience adversity.”

The study posted online September 26 in Biological Psychiatry.

—Newswise