Facial Deformity May Be An Indication Of Early Life Stress

[Barliman]

A few people have asked Peat about bodily facial and torso deformities and he has said it is likely due to high estrogen, especially in early childhood. This recent study seems to add evidence to that hypothesis by showing that crooked bite (a type of facial deformity) is an indication of stress exposure in early life. I find the study interesting because it also mentioned another metric that Peat often talks about but is virtually unknown in the medical world - i.e. the environmental quality during the first 1,000 days since conception have profound impact on both the lifespan and healthspan of the person. So, lower face symmetry can be used as a quick and reliable way to judge systemic health status. I know of a few studies, which showed that survivors of traumatic events who developed PTSD experienced changes in facial structure, and recovery from PTSD coincided with restoration of previous facial structure.
The bad news is that apparently such facial deformity records are no longer being collected in the US since the 1970s, which means that there is no current data for the US population. That is unfortunate, as it is a very reliable and non-invasive way of determining if the population is getting healthier or sicker (on average). Anecdotally, there have been quite a few discussions on this forum, and especially on Reddit about how modern celebrities have weird, gaunt and "fake" faces compared to famous people in the 1960s and earlier. I doubt that this is a coincidence, considering this study and other factoids mentioned by Peat.

Lower face asymmetry as a marker for developmental instability
"...The findings suggest that lower face asymmetries are a marker for environmental stress and cerebral lateralization during early development."

Crooked bite may indicate early life stress, UW study suggests | UW HSNewsBeat

"...Research has repeatedly confirmed that the first 1,000 days after conception strongly influence a person’s life expectancy and susceptibility to chronic diseases. The primary marker used to identify early life stress is low birth weight, which can, for instance, indicate poor nutrition of the mother during pregnancy. But low birth weight is a marker only until birth, about 280 days – far short of a measurement useful for the first thousand days. New research from University of Washington investigators suggests that an asymmetric lower face is a novel marker that also captures early life stresses that occur after birth."

"...“Asymmetries in the skull and teeth have been used for decades by anthropologists to mark environmental stress, but they have only rarely been used in living populations,” said Philippe Hujoel, the corresponding author. “Such lower-face asymmetries can be assessed by looking at the dental bite in the permanent teeth – an exam that can be completed in seconds and with more certainty than a mother’s recall of birth weight and more ease than a search for a birth certificate.”

"...The team had to look back four decades for data because in the 1970’s, he said, dental researchers in charge of designing U.S. surveys began to disregard the value of diagnosing facial asymmetry, and stopped taking those measurements. “From a biological perspective, this decision resulted in an inability to reliably track trends in the U.S.,” Hujoel said. "We don’t have current information on the prevalence of lower-face asymmetries in the U.S. population.”

All these studies miss one very important correlate- the question of injury to the upper cervical spine at birth. These injuries are common, and even if relatively minor tend not to resolve without assistance.

The reason for that is that the chronic asymmetry in proprioceptive tone in the upper neck makes it more difficult to control and stabilise the head.

While this area has in the US been largely the preserve of chiropractors it has been studied in depth by MDs in Germany.

The best book I have encountered on the issue is "Manual Therapy In Children", edited by the German Orthopedic surgeon Heiner Biedermann MD. His coaothors include an impressive array of specialists from multiple other disciplines- including obstetrics, radiology, dentistry, orthodontics, general practice, neurology, rehabilitation medicine, paediatrics.

Most babies who have an injury like this will lie usually with the head to one side (it is less uncomfortable) and will develop significant skull molding as a result. I had the injury myself and only discovered it in my late 40's. 2 years ago I realised the extent of my skull asymmetry- which has a distinct bulge in the left parietal area.

There are 2 chapters on the orthodontic implications as well - these are driven by the skull molding and also the loading implications of the abnormal forward head posture adopted by those who have this injury.

Babies who have this problem are prone to crying a lot, have significant issues with reflux and are often hindered in their motor development. They can be quite a handful, they can be difficult to feed especially on one breast, and this often causes attachment problems (anxious or avoidant attachment).

It is also clear from the Adverse Childhood Events studies that children who have a difficult childhood are much more prone to PTSD than adults who did not.

Biedermann also had some preliminary data to suggest that the risk of getting these birth injuries was related to particular pre-existing deformties of the cervical spine which are heritable.

So there is a very good argument that both these asymmetries and the proneness to stress are all secondary to the birth injury.

 

[haidut]

All these studies miss one very important correlate- the question of injury to the upper cervical spine at birth. These injuries are common, and even if relatively minor tend not to resolve without assistance.

The reason for that is that the chronic asymmetry in proprioceptive tone in the upper neck makes it more difficult to control and stabilise the head.

While this area has in the US been largely the preserve of chiropractors it has been studied in depth by MDs in Germany.

The best book I have encountered on the issue is "Manual Therapy In Children", edited by the German Orthopedic surgeon Heiner Biedermann MD. His coaothors include an impressive array of specialists from multiple other disciplines- including obstetrics, radiology, dentistry, orthodontics, general practice, neurology, rehabilitation medicine, paediatrics.

Most babies who have an injury like this will lie usually with the head to one side (it is less uncomfortable) and will develop significant skull molding as a result. I had the injury myself and only discovered it in my late 40's. 2 years ago I realised the extent of my skull asymmetry- which has a distinct bulge in the left parietal area.

There are 2 chapters on the orthodontic implications as well - these are driven by the skull molding and also the loading implications of the abnormal forward head posture adopted by those who have this injury.

Babies who have this problem are prone to crying a lot, have significant issues with reflux and are often hindered in their motor development. They can be quite a handful, they can be difficult to feed especially on one breast, and this often causes attachment problems (anxious or avoidant attachment).

It is also clear from the Adverse Childhood Events studies that children who have a difficult childhood are much more prone to PTSD than adults who did not.

Biedermann also had some preliminary data to suggest that the risk of getting these birth injuries was related to particular pre-existing deformties of the cervical spine which are heritable.

So there is a very good argument that both these asymmetries and the proneness to stress are all secondary to the birth injury.

Thanks for the feedback. I don't think anyone made claims that early life stress is the ONLY cause of facial asymmetries but as you can see from the study itself, apparently those asymmetries are used by archaeologists and anthropologists to assess the stress level of a person during lifetime based on skeleton deformities. Are you saying all of these artifacts being uncovered had birth trauma and this explains their deformities? As far as I know, the deformities were validated as biomarkers of stress by matching other historical records of known natural disasters, famines, wars, etc.
And btw, this child trauma link you posted does not exclude estrogen as the direct cause. Any type of trauma and subsequent life difficulties, PTSD, sleep issues, etc will likely raise estrogen and cortisol chronically, so maybe the trauma was the trigger and estrogen/cortisol the cause.

 

[kyle]

The best book I have encountered on the issue is "Manual Therapy In Children", edited by the German Orthopedic surgeon Heiner Biedermann MD. His coaothors include an impressive array of specialists from multiple other disciplines- including obstetrics, radiology, dentistry, orthodontics, general practice, neurology, rehabilitation medicine, paediatrics.

What therapies did they recommended for the upper cervical spine?

 

[Koveras]

A few people have asked Peat about bodily facial and torso deformities and he has said it is likely due to high estrogen, especially in early childhood. This recent study seems to add evidence to that hypothesis by showing that crooked bite (a type of facial deformity) is an indication of stress exposure in early life. I find the study interesting because it also mentioned another metric that Peat often talks about but is virtually unknown in the medical world - i.e. the environmental quality during the first 1,000 days since conception have profound impact on both the lifespan and healthspan of the person. So, lower face symmetry can be used as a quick and reliable way to judge systemic health status. I know of a few studies, which showed that survivors of traumatic events who developed PTSD experienced changes in facial structure, and recovery from PTSD coincided with restoration of previous facial structure.
The bad news is that apparently such facial deformity records are no longer being collected in the US since the 1970s, which means that there is no current data for the US population. That is unfortunate, as it is a very reliable and non-invasive way of determining if the population is getting healthier or sicker (on average). Anecdotally, there have been quite a few discussions on this forum, and especially on Reddit about how modern celebrities have weird, gaunt and "fake" faces compared to famous people in the 1960s and earlier. I doubt that this is a coincidence, considering this study and other factoids mentioned by Peat.

Lower face asymmetry as a marker for developmental instability
"...The findings suggest that lower face asymmetries are a marker for environmental stress and cerebral lateralization during early development."

Crooked bite may indicate early life stress, UW study suggests | UW HSNewsBeat

"...Research has repeatedly confirmed that the first 1,000 days after conception strongly influence a person’s life expectancy and susceptibility to chronic diseases. The primary marker used to identify early life stress is low birth weight, which can, for instance, indicate poor nutrition of the mother during pregnancy. But low birth weight is a marker only until birth, about 280 days – far short of a measurement useful for the first thousand days. New research from University of Washington investigators suggests that an asymmetric lower face is a novel marker that also captures early life stresses that occur after birth."

"...“Asymmetries in the skull and teeth have been used for decades by anthropologists to mark environmental stress, but they have only rarely been used in living populations,” said Philippe Hujoel, the corresponding author. “Such lower-face asymmetries can be assessed by looking at the dental bite in the permanent teeth – an exam that can be completed in seconds and with more certainty than a mother’s recall of birth weight and more ease than a search for a birth certificate.”



"...The team had to look back four decades for data because in the 1970’s, he said, dental researchers in charge of designing U.S. surveys began to disregard the value of diagnosing facial asymmetry, and stopped taking those measurements. “From a biological perspective, this decision resulted in an inability to reliably track trends in the U.S.,” Hujoel said. "We don’t have current information on the prevalence of lower-face asymmetries in the U.S. population.”

Agricultural expansion as risk to endangered wildlife: Pesticide exposure in wild chimpanzees and baboons displaying facial dysplasia. - PubMed - NCBI

Prenatal exposure to environmental endocrine disruptors can affect development and induce irreversible abnormalities in both humans and wildlife. The northern part of Kibale National Park, a mid-altitude rainforest in western Uganda, is largely surrounded by industrial tea plantations and wildlife using this area (Sebitoli) must cope with proximity to human populations and their activities. The chimpanzees and baboons in this area raid crops (primarily maize) in neighboring gardens. Sixteen young individuals of the 66 chimpanzees monitored (25%) exhibit abnormalities including reduced nostrils, cleft lip, limb deformities, reproductive problems and hypopigmentation. Each pathology could have a congenital component, potentially exacerbated by environmental factors. In addition, at least six of 35 photographed baboons from a Sebitoli troop (17%) have similar severe nasal deformities. Our inquiries in villages and tea factories near Sebitoli revealed use of eight pesticides (glyphosate, cypermethrin, profenofos, mancozeb, metalaxyl, dimethoate, chlorpyrifos and 2,4-D amine). Chemical analysis of samples collected from 2014 to 2016 showed that mean levels of pesticides in fresh maize stems and seeds, soils, and river sediments in the vicinity of the chimpanzee territory exceed recommended limits. Notably, excess levels were found for total DDT and its metabolite pp'-DDE and for chlorpyrifos in fresh maize seeds and in fish from Sebitoli. Imidacloprid was detected in coated maize seeds planted at the edge the forest and in fish samples from the Sebitoli area, while no pesticides were detected in fish from central park areas. Since some of these pesticides are thyroid hormone disruptors, we postulate that excessive pesticide use in the Sebitoli area may contribute to facial dysplasia in chimpanzees and baboons through this endocrine pathway. Chimpanzees are considered as endangered by IUCN and besides their intrinsic value and status as closely related to humans, they have major economic value in Uganda via ecotourism. Identifying and limiting potential threats to their survival such be a conservation priority.

 

[haidut]

Agricultural expansion as risk to endangered wildlife: Pesticide exposure in wild chimpanzees and baboons displaying facial dysplasia. - PubMed - NCBI

Prenatal exposure to environmental endocrine disruptors can affect development and induce irreversible abnormalities in both humans and wildlife. The northern part of Kibale National Park, a mid-altitude rainforest in western Uganda, is largely surrounded by industrial tea plantations and wildlife using this area (Sebitoli) must cope with proximity to human populations and their activities. The chimpanzees and baboons in this area raid crops (primarily maize) in neighboring gardens. Sixteen young individuals of the 66 chimpanzees monitored (25%) exhibit abnormalities including reduced nostrils, cleft lip, limb deformities, reproductive problems and hypopigmentation. Each pathology could have a congenital component, potentially exacerbated by environmental factors. In addition, at least six of 35 photographed baboons from a Sebitoli troop (17%) have similar severe nasal deformities. Our inquiries in villages and tea factories near Sebitoli revealed use of eight pesticides (glyphosate, cypermethrin, profenofos, mancozeb, metalaxyl, dimethoate, chlorpyrifos and 2,4-D amine). Chemical analysis of samples collected from 2014 to 2016 showed that mean levels of pesticides in fresh maize stems and seeds, soils, and river sediments in the vicinity of the chimpanzee territory exceed recommended limits. Notably, excess levels were found for total DDT and its metabolite pp'-DDE and for chlorpyrifos in fresh maize seeds and in fish from Sebitoli. Imidacloprid was detected in coated maize seeds planted at the edge the forest and in fish samples from the Sebitoli area, while no pesticides were detected in fish from central park areas. Since some of these pesticides are thyroid hormone disruptors, we postulate that excessive pesticide use in the Sebitoli area may contribute to facial dysplasia in chimpanzees and baboons through this endocrine pathway. Chimpanzees are considered as endangered by IUCN and besides their intrinsic value and status as closely related to humans, they have major economic value in Uganda via ecotourism. Identifying and limiting potential threats to their survival such be a conservation priority.

Great find, thanks. I think this strengthens the case for it being a stress-related condition.

 

[Barliman]

What therapies did they recommended for the upper cervical spine?

Biedermann's book shows a range of techniques, including high velocity low thrust techniques, but for babies he recommended essentially a simple massaging technique with the baby lying flat on its back. However he commented that he was only showing the range of techniques that were available.
This you Tube clip from a chiropractor shows the gentle massaging technique very well:


The important emphases of Biedermann's book were that the longer the situation is allowed to persist, the worse the child's problem will become due to secondary deformity elsewhere in the spine (thoracic and sacro-iliac) and due to aberrant movement patterns learned when one side is not as strong as the other.

I have the problem myself- but diagnosed very late, and the ongoing issues with the residual thoracic scoliosis can be murderously painful, and very expensive to treat.

 

[Barliman]

Thanks for the feedback. I don't think anyone made claims that early life stress is the ONLY cause of facial asymmetries but as you can see from the study itself, apparently those asymmetries are used by archaeologists and anthropologists to assess the stress level of a person during lifetime based on skeleton deformities. Are you saying all of these artifacts being uncovered had birth trauma and this explains their deformities? As far as I know, the deformities were validated as biomarkers of stress by matching other historical records of known natural disasters, famines, wars, etc.
And btw, this child trauma link you posted does not exclude estrogen as the direct cause. Any type of trauma and subsequent life difficulties, PTSD, sleep issues, etc will likely raise estrogen and cortisol chronically, so maybe the trauma was the trigger and estrogen/cortisol the cause.

It is bound to be a mix of causations, however the high cervical problems are very common and much more common in Western society (I think Biedermann was being conservative with his estimate of 30% of live births) -- giving birth when squatting is much less likely to cause the injury, and babies are also bigger in the overnourished West.

However on the question of oestrogen- has anyone here looked at the role of glyphosate as an endocrine disruptor?

DSpace@MIT: Glyphosate’s Suppression of Cytochrome P450 Enzymes and Amino Acid Biosynthesis by the Gut Microbiome: Pathways to Modern Diseases

"The evidence that glyphosate inhibits CYP enzymes comes from several directions. There are studies showing inhibition of aromatase, a CYP enzyme that converts testosterone to estrogen, and studies showing enhancement of retinoic acid, which could be achieved by suppressing the CYP enzyme involved in its catabolism.

Retinoic acid plays a key role in embryonic development, where its tightly-regulated concentration levels impact developmental stages [112]. Due to reports of neural defects and craniofacial malformations in children born in regions where glyphosate-based herbicides are used, a group of
researchers investigated the effects of low doses of glyphosate (1/5,000 dilutions of a commercial glyphosate-based herbicide) in development of African clawed frog embryos and chick embryos [113]. The treated embryos were highly abnormal: the frog embryos developed into tadpoles with cranial deformities, and microcephaly was observed in the chick embryos. They traced this effect to an increase in endogenous retinoic acid (RA) activity, and showed that cotreatment with an RA antagonist prevented the deformities".

 

[Amazoniac]

I live within a few miles of NIH - a vast complex full of people working dead-end careers in genetics and wasting billions of our money. If you look at the poor woman in the picture you can immediately see the signs of high estrogen in her face - irregular facial structure, weaker jaw and larger ears (relative to other facial elements). Of course, it could have been caused by the chemotherapy, but every time I see a face like that I am thinking "yeah, it's genetics that gave her cancer, not hormones like estrogen or PUFA...NOT!"

There are a few older studies, and Peat has told people over email that facial and body deformations are most likely an estrogen issue. Bone deformities are almost always estrogen driven. In older times there was a blanket condition called "cretinism", which Ray talks about in his articles. While it is most often associated with mental deficiency, most cretins also have severe facial and/or body deformities. It can be cause by exposure to estrogens during pregnancy or in early life of the baby. DDT, DES, and all of the *fene drugs can cause it.
Radiation is estrogenic as Peat has mentioned and I discussed on the Danny shows. Chemotherapy is almost always estrogenic as well. No matter how targeted and personalized these "treatments" are sold as they will still cause much damage than the cancer itself and even if they induce remission they will cause secondary cancer a few years later due to the systemic shift towards estrogen dominance.

Very interesting. Do you have the studies?

 

[FredSonoma]

I'm getting surgery for a maxillary deformity (crooked and too high) in about 9 months.

I'm very interested to learn more about your surgery. I have a crooked jaw, as well as an underbite. Makes chewing difficult and is of course unsightly.

How much will it cost? Are they putting in titanium plates? I really want to do it, but don't want that metal permanently screwed into my bone.

 

[Makaveli]

@haidut Do you think people who have this early life stress have some sort of stored estrogen that's hard to get rid of? Would these people have to be more aggressive in a "Peaty" diet or in taking anti estrogen supplements? I have the jaw deformity and a couple other things that may be considered deformities in my face structure. Even my back is slightly hunched.

I feel like although I've been doing many anti estrogen supplements, eating very low PUFA, using pregnenolone, progesterone, aspirin, eating fruits and dairy, I still feel like I have estrogen symptoms like aggression and oily face.

 

[haidut]

@haidut Do you think people who have this early life stress have some sort of stored estrogen that's hard to get rid of? Would these people have to be more aggressive in a "Peaty" diet or in taking anti estrogen supplements? I have the jaw deformity and a couple other things that may be considered deformities in my face structure. Even my back is slightly hunched.

I feel like although I've been doing many anti estrogen supplements, eating very low PUFA, using pregnenolone, progesterone, aspirin, eating fruits and dairy, I still feel like I have estrogen symptoms like aggression and oily face.

I don't think there is stored estrogen from past stress, more along the lines of metabolic adaptation where estrogen and cortisol are overproduced even at low stress levels. With good anti-stress measues and diet eventually the adaptation will change back to normal. For really bad cases things like cyproheptadine, androgens, and higher doses vitamin K may be needed.

 

[acrylic]

I'm very interested to learn more about your surgery. I have a crooked jaw, as well as an underbite. Makes chewing difficult and is of course unsightly.

How much will it cost? Are they putting in titanium plates? I really want to do it, but don't want that metal permanently screwed into my bone.

Insurance is paying for it, but the out of pocket would be between $100,000 and $250,000.

I will have titanium screwed into my bone, but I don't really have a choice. I either fix this really frustrating problem or I don't.

 

[JDreamer]

As the years have gone by this continues to get worse for me. It's too the point where I'm too paranoid to take pictures prominently featuring the right side of my face.

- My right eyelid droops a bit, my receding hairline is worse on the right temple.
- My jaw tends to sit in that direction now more than ever, which means I also end up biting my tongue quite a bit when chewing.
- My face is puffier on the right

Then you have the fact that for some reason my head always seems to tilt to the right. I feel like such a gremlin these days and my confidence is shot. Of course, I've led quite the stress 38 years of life.

 

[Xisca]

I have read that chronic low grade carbon monoxid poisonning creates disymetric changes in the face in adulthood. The face of E.A. Poe is an example. Unoticed gas in the house and car exhausts are culprits.

 

[Xisca]

I notice the different examples show that the stress can be direct on the structure, or indirect, as it seems chemicals have nothing to do with the jaw!

Prenatal exposure to environmental endocrine disruptors can affect development and induce irreversible abnormalities in both humans and wildlife.

My jaw is far from being aligned, my thorax shows a difference at sternum level, also hips, all is linked because of fascias and fluid.
And I have prenatal exposure to chemicals, (apart from ethanol and solvent, I do not know precisely, my mom just remember that it stunk and was hardly bearable.)
I also have some birth trauma, an unfinished spiral.

I don't know how known it is that we are born doing a spiral turning to our right?

Weston A Price

I have just read his book and seen all the photos! Just impressive...

I've had a few foreigners remark to me how remarkably ugly americans (in big urban centers) are.

I was thinking that if we like smiles with nice teeth, it might be an instinct to know the health of a partner for having healthy babies... Changes in faces might cause a change in the new generation, about sexy standards, you never know!

Two of the early life stresses that may impact facial growth include not being breast feed as an infant and being allowed to such your thumb. A third stress is not chewing enough to strengthen the facial muscles so that the teeth will properly align.

Right, but the early stress includes much more than the direct impact on the mouth! All kind of stress impact the alternate waving behaviour of the sympathic and parasympathic nerves. I think this controls the endocrine system, as stress management can modify deeply the body's adaptation and resilience.

the question of injury to the upper cervical spine at birth

The atlas is frecuently talked about, and said to be not so easy to correct. I had twice the atlas therapy, and it was fake, I know enough of bodywork to feel what a person does, and does not! The vibration made some temporary relief. I have fixed my headaches and neckaches and eye ache another way, and still have body work to help further.

There seems to be a certain way to hold my tongue that feels "correct,"

I took conscious of mine from others observation! Now I do notice that I put my tongue between my right teeth, to give the right support I need.
I have closed mouth, but not touching teeth, or else I cannot put my jaw at the right place.

 

[Xisca]

the environmental quality during the first 1,000 days since conception have profound impact on both the lifespan and healthspan of the person.

It is also known that it affect the autonomic nervous system, because it finishes its development roughly at 6 months of age. Up to this age, we rely on the mother's system, or care taker, through the resonnance that creates bonding. It is done through the vago ventral nerve. It is linked to oxytocyne, and with the famous mirror neurones. So, we also depend on the strength and good state of the caretaker, which modulates the risk to keep some activation in the ANS.
Perinatal trauma, even small ones, is said to impact as much as high speed accidents, and create a global high activation, showing as adrenaline looking persons, involved in risk sports, or, if the traumatic activation reached a shut-off point, there is a hidden high activation, showing in people who are overdoers because they think they are lazy, with tendency to chronic fatigue, burn out etc.

 

[cyclops]

My face structure is bad. I have fat cheeks and no jaw line. Wasn't breastfed and always used to hang my mouth. Now my maxilla is down and back. I been doing all the Mike Mew stuff and holding good posture. What else can I do? Will my bones change? What type of doctor do I need to see for surgery?

 

[Constatine]

My face structure is bad. I have fat cheeks and no jaw line. Wasn't breastfed and always used to hang my mouth. Now my maxilla is down and back. I been doing all the Mike Mew stuff and holding good posture. What else can I do? Will my bones change? What type of doctor do I need to see for surgery?

Plenty of organ meats and shellfish will probably help. Anything that increases osteocalcin or osteoblast proliferation will also help. For jaw size specifically androgens are useful. Peat said that supplementing pure testosterone on the skin is safe, and he said that DHT might even be safer (if thyroid function and diet is good). Androgens typically increase osteoblasts and osteocalcin and osteocalcin increases testosterone. Ashwagandha has been shown to increase osteocalcin expression by 3.6 fold and also increases androgens. It is very very anabolic to the bones (and just in general). Ashwagandha might increase brain serotonin but it has other actions that oppose serotonin so just watch your mood if you decide to take it.

And yes it is very possible to change facial bones.

 

[dfspcc20]

I have just read his book and seen all the photos! Just impressive...

Glad to hear others are actually reading the source material, rather than taking the WAPF's word for it or whatever other caricatures are floating around.

 

[Xisca]

reading the source material

It was recently on this forum, so I could read the ebook!