Stressed moms, genes may cause shy kids

Shyness in children might in part stem from a certain stress-related gene that's activated by living with stressed mothers, according to a new study.

Children can have either the "long" or "short" variation of a gene responsible for regulating the amount of serotonin, or a chemical that transmits information in the brain. Kids who have the short variation, and whose parents experience continuously high stress levels, are more likely to become shy as they grow older, according to University of Maryland researchers.

Kids with the short variation who also had stressed mothers were more likely to continue to be shy as they got older than kids who had the same genetic structure and moms who reported they weren't stressed, said Nathan Fox, an author of the study and professor of human development at the University of Maryland's College Park campus. The study was published in the February issue of Current Directions in Psychological Science.

Children with the long variation of the gene, and whose mothers reported having high stress levels, did not show tendencies towards shyness, Fox said. This suggests the combination of having both a short variation of the gene and stressed parents leads to reserved kids.

Shyness in young children can have disadvantages, including a higher likelihood of anxiety and a smaller circle of friends, according to C. Robert Cloninger, professor of psychiatry, genetics and psychology at Washington University in St. Louis.

"Being shy makes it harder to deal with strangers, but also keeps you from being reckless," he said. ...

•	Stressed moms, genes may cause shy kids United Press International, Monday, March 5, 2007 Byline: Anthony Rotunno, UPI Correspondent