Low socioeconomic status is known as a risk factor for a multitude of medical illnesses, including increased levels of inflammatory markers such as interleukin (IL)-6. A new study has demonstrated that maternal warmth in early life affects inflammatory measures in adulthood, irrespective of socioeconomic status, suggesting that specific gene pathways are altered by the quality of the parent-child relationship.
PositiveTip: Parents (and probably grandparents) influence even gene expression in their offspring by the quality of their interactions.