Summary: New research reveals that childhood maltreatment leaves lasting biological and social traces. In a study of young children, those who experienced abuse or neglect showed signs of accelerated cellular aging and reduced social attention.
Using DNA methylation measures and eye-tracking assessments, researchers mapped how early trauma alters both physiology and social behavior. These results emphasize the need for early detection and targeted interventions to support vulnerable children and reduce long-term harm.
Key facts:
- Accelerated aging: Children exposed to maltreatment exhibited faster biological aging at the cellular level, measured by epigenetic clocks.
- Altered social attention: Maltreated children spent significantly less time looking at the eye region of faces, a core element of social engagement.
- Independent pathways: Biological aging and reduced social attention each independently related to higher emotional and behavioral difficulties.
Source: University of Fukui
Childhood maltreatment affects more than immediate safety and memory—its effects can be measurable in the body and mind.
A large body of evidence links early abuse and neglect to increased risk for chronic physical illness, mental health disorders, and premature mortality. Underlying those risks are biological changes that can persist for years. This new study shows that such changes can already be detected in preschool-aged children.
Previous work has been limited by inconsistent biological markers, reliance on retrospective self-report, and a lack of tools to examine biological and social-behavioral effects together. To fill these gaps, a multi-institutional team in Japan conducted a focused study of very young children, combining molecular and behavioral measures.
Researchers from the United Graduate School of Child Development—a collaboration among Osaka University, Kanazawa University, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Chiba University, and the University of Fukui—published their findings in PLOS ONE on May 30, 2025. The team includes Keiko Ochiai, Shota Nishitani, Takashi X. Fujisawa, and Akemi Tomoda, among others.
The study compared 36 children with documented severe maltreatment to 60 typically developing children, all aged 4–5 years. Biological aging was assessed from buccal (cheek) DNA using a Pediatric-Buccal-Epigenetic clock developed by the team. Social attention was measured with eye-tracking while children viewed videos of faces and social scenes.
Results showed clear differences: maltreated children had higher DNA methylation age (mAge) acceleration than their peers, indicating faster cellular aging. On the eye-tracking measures, these children spent substantially less time fixating on the eye region of faces—an important cue for social understanding.
Both accelerated mAge and reduced eye contact correlated with higher scores on the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), a standardized measure of emotional and behavioral problems. Path analyses indicated that the biological and social measures each contributed independently to those difficulties, suggesting multiple routes by which maltreatment affects development.
“Child maltreatment can leave invisible but measurable marks on a child’s biology and social engagement,” said Keiko Ochiai. The research highlights objective markers that could support earlier identification of at-risk children and guide interventions.
The authors suggest that practical tools—such as brief eye-tracking assessments and stress-related biological testing—could help teachers, clinicians, and caregivers identify children who need support. Early, targeted programs could then focus on improving social skills, reducing stress, and promoting healthier development to prevent later, more severe problems.
Overall, the study advances understanding of how early adversity shapes both molecular aging and social cognition and points to actionable approaches for early detection and support.
Funding information: This study was supported by AMED (20gk0110052), JSPS KAKENHI Scientific Research (A) (19H00617 and 22H00492), Challenging Exploratory Research (21K18499), Scientific Research (C) (20K02700), JST/RISTEX grants for creating safe public and private living environments, strategic university mission funding, University of Fukui grants (FY2019 and 2020), translational research grants from the Life Science Innovation Center, University of Fukui (LSI20305 and LSI22202), and a life cycle medicine grant from the Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Fukui.
About this child maltreatment, aging, and social neuroscience research news
Author: Yuuka Kawamoto
Source: University of Fukui
Contact: Yuuka Kawamoto – University of Fukui
Image: Image credited to Neuroscience News
Original Research: Open access. “Behavioral and emotional difficulties in maltreated children: Associations with epigenetic clock changes and visual attention to social cues” by Keiko Ochiai et al., PLOS ONE
Abstract
Behavioral and emotional difficulties in maltreated children: Associations with epigenetic clock changes and visual attention to social cues
Childhood maltreatment is associated with poorer outcomes across the life span and with accelerated biological aging, but few studies have measured age acceleration in early childhood. This case-control study evaluated DNA methylation age (mAge) acceleration, visual attention to social cues, and behavioral and emotional outcomes in young children with histories of maltreatment.
The sample included 36 maltreated (CM) and 60 typically developing (TD) children, aged roughly 4–5 years. Buccal DNA samples were used to estimate mAge acceleration with a pediatric epigenetic clock. Eye-tracking measured gaze patterns to social stimuli, and behavioral outcomes were assessed with the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ).
Maltreated children showed significantly greater mAge acceleration and spent less time looking at the eye region during facial presentations. Although these attributes were related, path analysis indicated that accelerated biological aging and decreased eye contact each independently associated with higher SDQ difficulty scores. These results suggest multiple pathways—biological and social—through which early adversity contributes to emotional and behavioral problems.
The findings underscore the importance of early identification and support for children exposed to maltreatment, highlighting mAge acceleration and reduced attention to social cues as measurable markers linked to later difficulties.