Chronic stress can alter sperm and impact a father’s children’s mental health, increasing their risk for anxiety and depression. This phenomenon is known as epigenetic inheritance, where experiences can leave a mark on genes that are passed down to the next generation. A recent study by researchers at the University of Melbourne focused on how stress hormones disrupt specific molecules in sperm called long non-coding RNAs, affecting offspring behavior and development. The study showed that altered long non-coding RNAs in sperm can lead to increased anxiety and depression in offspring, highlighting the lasting impact a father’s experiences can have on his children’s mental health.
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