Verner G, Epel E, Lahti-Pulkkinen M, et al. - Researchers intended to determine if there is an association between maternal psychological resilience during pregnancy and newborn telomere length (TL). Multiple serial assessments were performed over the course of pregnancy to quantify maternal stress, negative and positive emotional responses to pregnancy events, positive affect, and perceived social support in a sample of 656 mother-child dyads from the Prediction and Prevention of Preeclampsia and Intrauterine Growth Restriction cohort. Maternal stress predicted significantly shorter newborn TL, and positivity significantly predicted longer TL. Maternal resilience (positivity accounting for stress) has been correlated strongly and positively with newborn TL, with each standard deviation increase in resilience predicting 12% longer newborn TL. The findings suggest that maternal psychological resilience may have a salubrious impact on offspring telomere biology and stress the value of enhancing maternal mental health and well-being during pregnancy.