Using science to blame mothers

In a commentary published earlier this month in Nature, Harvard professor Sarah S. Richardson and six co-authors caution scientists, journalists and the public against drawing hasty conclusions from findings concerning epigenetic effects on human development.

Epigenetic effects are those that involve heritable changes to gene expression that don't arise from changes to the genotype itself. For example, a fetus's intrauterine environment can influence gene expression in later life, with some effects that extend beyond one generation.

To illustrate how epigenetic effects are often reported, Richardson and colleagues quote the following headlines:

"Mother's diet during pregnancy alters baby's DNA" (BBC)

"Grandma's Experiences Leave a Mark on Your Genes" (Discover Magazine)

"Pregnant 9/11 survivors transmitted trauma to their children" (The Guardian)

Notice a trend? It's all about moms. And where mom is portrayed as the cause of some negative outcome, it's a simple step to blame. That's what worries the authors, whose major lesson is summed up in the title of their piece: "Don't blame the mothers."