A new study has explored how childhood trauma might be passed down through generations, potentially affecting both the mental and physical health of descendants. The research, published in January 2025 in Molecular Psychiatry, highlights that the effects of childhood trauma can last a person's entire life. Moreover, the study suggests that these effects might also influence future generations, not only through changes in behavior but also through modifications in DNA. The study indicates that trauma can leave marks on genetic material, which can be inherited by offspring. Dr. Michel Cymes, a doctor, explained in a video on Instagram that when an adult man experiences mistreatment during childhood, he may develop psychological and health issues. These effects can also be seen in his children, who may show slight differences in brain development, even if they were not mistreated themselves. To illustrate, Cymes noted that activities like sports can activate genes in cells that are beneficial for health, and these benefits can be passed on to children. If children continue to be active, they may increase their life expectancy in good health. Jetro J. Tuulari, author of the study, told PsyPost that a previous study found a link between exposure to paternal mistreatment during childhood and the white matter of the neonatal brain. This result is significant because fathers have no direct influence on the development of the fetus during pregnancy, which sparked Tuulari's interest in this line of research. For this new study, the researchers recruited 55 Finnish men based on the extent of the difficulties they experienced during their childhood. They analyzed sperm samples from these men to study two key molecular characteristics: non-coding small RNAs and DNA methylation. The results revealed that exposure to stress could affect the epigenome of sperm, thus explaining the impact of trauma on sperm. Cymes commented that when individuals are mistreated, the sperm cells carry these epigenetic marks of mistreatment. He suggested that the stem cells that will give rise to sperm cells are themselves marked by mistreatment, indicating that trauma can leave traces for generations later.