Mental health disorders are a major cause of lost work days, morbidity and mortality. Focus on these disorders among children has become a public health priority. Emerging data trace their origins beyond genes, into childhood experiences and the intrauterine environment, longitudinal studies focusing on the understanding of the mechanisms of epigenetic modification in shaping early psychopathology risk are important. With the proposed study design with multiple follow-up points, prospective information on mothers, family and children and a great number of umbilical cord blood and saliva samples, it will be possible to use epigenetics to better understand which modifiable parameters in the perinatal and early life period contribute in shaping the risk for early psychopathology. The results are expected to contribute not only in the unraveling of pathophysiological processes, but also in understanding which groups of children are more vulnerable and would benefit from preventive efforts.