Genocide trauma changed victims’ DNA, says study

Gatwaro Genocide Memorial

A general view of the Gatwaro Genocide Memorial in Kibuye, western Rwanda. FILE PHOTO | AFP

The traumatic experiences of the 1994 Genocide of the Tutsi in Rwanda may have caused changes in the DNA of victims and the children born by women who were pregnant then.

A study published in Epigenomics on January 10 found that the trauma was associated with chemical modifications to the DNA of genocide-exposed women and their offspring.