Adoption study shows impact of young children's genetic makeup on parents

From the linked article:

> "All working on the study are still amazed that we can predict how an adopted child is parented just from a knowledge of birth parent characteristics," said Reiss, a professor of clinical child psychiatry. For example, birth parents' lack of interest in social engagement predicts hostility in the relationships between the adopted children and their rearing parents. This appears to be due to the adopted child's indifference to engage with the adopted parents, a trait genetically influenced by their birth parents, the researchers say.

> In some cases, these birth parent-child-adoptive parent associations drove the child toward behavioral problems. For example, adopted children of birth parents with highly assertive temperaments showed more anger, which elicited more parental hostility. This parental response led to increased behavioral problems in the child. Sequences such as these could be curtailed when parents had a satisfying marriage.

> "The full impact of children's genetic makeup on their development depends on how parents respond to them," Reiss commented. "We were pleasantly surprised to observe that very troubling genetically influenced traits in children—such as a worrying mixture of callousness and fearlessness—could be offset by parental warmth. Favorable responses to children that offset genetic risk are enhanced if parents have a positive relationship with one another."