Authors
Aydogan, G., Kollmorgen, S., Mante, V., Linner, R. K., Kleim, B., Nave, G., Ruff, C. C.
Abstract
The global rise in armed conflicts has raised concerns about their long-term consequences. While the immediate mental and physical impacts of war are well documented, the effects on unborn children of expecting mothers remain poorly understood. Using a large dataset (N = 37,856), we examine how in-utero exposure to World War II bombings influenced brain development and life outcomes decades later. Controlling for genetic and environmental factors, we find that exposure during the last trimester is associated with reduced grey matter volume, which mediates adverse effects on intelligence and obesity in adulthood. These findings reveal a potential causal pathway that links prenatal trauma to long-term neurodevelopmental and functional impairments, highlighting fetal vulnerability to war stressors and the importance of protecting expectant mothers during armed conflicts.
Preprint server:
bioRxiv
The authors list and abstract were imported from bioRxiv on 08 Nov 2025.
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