[bundles]

Epigenetics is the study of changes in organisms caused by modification of gene expression rather than alteration of the genetic code itself, ie a change in phenotype without a change in genotype.
Whenever I talk about Epigenetics I always use the example of putting a Shetland pony embryo into a horse surrogate mother (or whatever the variation is ) and ending up with a foal that is taller than one but smaller than the other - I think the link is somewhere below !!
Some articles on Epigenetics can help to reassure, I can't find my original researched links but will list some others here now so that you can all have a look. I've not read them all, so if there's anything wrong or dodgy please let me know
Feel free to add your own links too

http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/epigenetics/ (looks very good but may be technical)

http://www.yourivfjourney.com/epigenetics-can-ivf-affect-your-babys-genes/

http://www.medicaldaily.com/infertile-moms-genetics-micrornas-get-passed-her-egg-donation-child-355788

http://www.bionews.org.uk/page_581621.asp

http://dev.biologists.org/content/142/18/3210

http://eggdonorsblog.giftovlife.com/epigenetics

Feel free to post any you have found yourselves

Bundles x

/links

 

[Maria00]

Thank you, Bundles, so much appreciated! 

 

[PinkPeacock]

Brilliant, thank you Bundles. Could this please be made a sticky thread? It would be really helpful to refer people to when they ask.

 

[bundles]

Done !! Was going to anyway but often people don't look at the top when they're reading what's new 

 

[Sugar27]

Wow ! What a brilliant, informative thread. Well done and a must read for us thinking of using donor eggs or have special donor babies already

 

[Lil75]

Great thread! Thanks.

There are some interesting talks on epigenetics on TED like this one:

/links

 

[Ruu]

Thanks bundles xx

 

[hazelthecrow]

wow, this stuff is endlessly fascinating! thanks for posting.

 

[Caggie]

I've been doing some googling and found this - it might have been discussed already but I just wanted to paste it in this sticky thread, as it feels quite game-changing:

Do Women treated with donor eggs pass on DNA?

Do women treated with donor eggs pass on DNA to their babies? According to new research the answer is positive.

It has been previously shown by a study conducted at the University of Southampton that the environment in which an embryo grows, that is the womb environment, can affect the embryo's development. According to experts that event is related to epigenetics.

However, according to a recent study conducted at IVI Valencia, a Spanish fertility clinic and Stanford University, genetic material of the pregnant woman was detected into the womb fluid. Laboratory findings confirmed that these fragments of genetic material in the womb are actually absorbed by the embryo.

The study, published in the medical journal Development, was led by Dr Vilella and Dr Simon who commented that there are still a lot of things to discover regarding the effects of the mother's genetic material and how it confers with the baby.

Full article at: http://www.ivfclinicsworldwide.com/women-treated-donor-eggs-pass-dna/

 

[TraceySainsbury]

A client has asked me to share this here - if inappropriate please feel free to delete post - epigenetics is great but it's just a small part of Inter Personal Neuro Biology that includes pre-birth attachment and familial attunement, the pre-birth attachment in 2 parent families is not about genetics, you are growing your baby and in 1 parent families all of your significant relationship help inform a growing little person about positive attachments, hence counselling beforehand to get comfy about claiming being the only mum for a child conceived through egg donation or only parent/dad through sperm donation - donors donate - parents parent. But comfiness with the facts is important as how you feel about 'stuff' hard wires a little person to how they feel about 'stuff' (not just donor conception) pregnancy hard wires growing babies for relationships, relationship with food, stress, relaxing, sleeping etc. (It explains why some children in the care system or adopted sadly have chaotic lives, because of the chaos during pregnancy, which often isn't apparent until later developmental stages when earlier 'stuff' is reprocessed emotionally & physically)

Brilliant book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Prenatal-Development-Parents-Lived-Experiences/dp/0393711064/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1533741187&sr=1-2&keywords=interpersonal+neurobiology+pregnancy

Tracey

Tracey Sainsbury
Fertility Counsellor

 

[Wunderwomban]

https://aeon.co/essays/microchimerism-how-pregnancy-changes-the-mothers-very-dna

 

[K jade]

https://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2010/03/what-makes-you-unique-not-genes-so-much-as-surrounding-sequences-says-stanford-study.html