Marie Camerota, Barry M Lester, Elisabeth C McGowan, Brian S Carter, Jennifer Check, Lynne M Dansereau, Sheri A DellaGrotta, Jennifer B Helderman, Julie A Hofheimer, Cynthia M Loncar, Charles R Neal, T Michael O'Shea, Steven L Pastyrnak, Lynne M Smith, Sarina Abrishamcar, Anke Hüls, Carmen J Marsit, Todd M Everson
Children born less than 30 weeks gestational age (GA) are at high risk for neurodevelopmental delay compared to term peers. Prenatal risk factors and neonatal epigenetics could help identify preterm children at highest risk for poor cognitive outcomes. We aimed to understand the associations among cumulative prenatal risk, neonatal DNA methylation, and child cognitive ability at age 3 years, including whether DNA methylation mediates the association between prenatal risk and cognitive ability. We studied 379 neonates (54% male) born less than 30 weeks GA who had DNA methylation measured at neonatal intensive care unit discharge along with 3-year follow-up data...
February 15, 2024: Developmental Psychology