TY - JOUR
T1 - Childhood adversity in parents of patients with pediatric multiple sclerosis
AU - O'Neill, Kimberly A.
AU - Charvet, Leigh
AU - George, Allan
AU - Waltz, Michael
AU - Casper, T. Charles
AU - Benson, Leslie
AU - Gorman, Mark
AU - Mar, Soe
AU - Ness, Jayne
AU - Schreiner, Teri
AU - Waubant, Emmanuelle
AU - Weinstock-Guttman, Bianca
AU - Wheeler, Yolanda
AU - Ortiz, Robin
AU - Krupp, Lauren B.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2025 Elsevier B.V.
PY - 2025/6
Y1 - 2025/6
N2 - Background: Childhood environmental factors back to the prenatal environment can contribute to MS risk. Childhood adversity, which causes biological, behavioral, and epigenetic changes that can be passed down through families, has been understudied in MS. Here, we emphasize the need to understand the role that intergenerational adversity may play among families affected by MS. Objective: To evaluate the frequency and types of adverse childhood experiences among parents of children with MS. Methods: Individuals with pediatric MS (n = 68) were enrolled in a longitudinal study of cognition. At enrollment, the patient and one caregiver or parent completed questionnaires. As the pediatric participants were under age 18 at time of enrollment, one parent completed the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs, a 10-item self-report measure) about the parents’ own childhood. Results from the ACE questionnaire among parents of pediatric healthy controls (n = 96) and adults in a national cohort are also reported for comparison. Results: Over half of pediatric MS parents reported at least one ACE exposure. Of parents that did have ACE exposures, the exposures were broad in terms of abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction. Over 10 % of parents reported total ACE scores of 7 or above. Conclusion: Over half of pediatric MS parents experienced some degree of childhood adversity. The impact of intergenerational adversity on the development of pediatric onset MS warrants further study.
AB - Background: Childhood environmental factors back to the prenatal environment can contribute to MS risk. Childhood adversity, which causes biological, behavioral, and epigenetic changes that can be passed down through families, has been understudied in MS. Here, we emphasize the need to understand the role that intergenerational adversity may play among families affected by MS. Objective: To evaluate the frequency and types of adverse childhood experiences among parents of children with MS. Methods: Individuals with pediatric MS (n = 68) were enrolled in a longitudinal study of cognition. At enrollment, the patient and one caregiver or parent completed questionnaires. As the pediatric participants were under age 18 at time of enrollment, one parent completed the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs, a 10-item self-report measure) about the parents’ own childhood. Results from the ACE questionnaire among parents of pediatric healthy controls (n = 96) and adults in a national cohort are also reported for comparison. Results: Over half of pediatric MS parents reported at least one ACE exposure. Of parents that did have ACE exposures, the exposures were broad in terms of abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction. Over 10 % of parents reported total ACE scores of 7 or above. Conclusion: Over half of pediatric MS parents experienced some degree of childhood adversity. The impact of intergenerational adversity on the development of pediatric onset MS warrants further study.
KW - Adverse childhood experiences
KW - Early onset multiple sclerosis
KW - Multiple sclerosis
KW - Pediatric multiple sclerosis
KW - Social determinants of health
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=105002293210&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.msard.2025.106424
DO - 10.1016/j.msard.2025.106424
M3 - Article
C2 - 40215565
AN - SCOPUS:105002293210
SN - 2211-0348
VL - 98
JO - Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders
JF - Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders
M1 - 106424
ER -