Understanding the Effects of Prenatal Environment on Child Health
Author Information
Author(s): Thapar Anita, Harold Gordon, Rice Frances, Ge XiaoJia, Boivin Jacky, Hay Dale, van den Bree Marianne, Lewis Allyson
Primary Institution: Cardiff University
Hypothesis
Can intrauterine or genetic influences explain the foetal origins of chronic disease?
Conclusion
The study demonstrates that a novel method can effectively separate the effects of genetic and environmental factors on child health outcomes.
Supporting Evidence
- 741 families from 18 fertility clinics participated in the study.
- The study successfully recruited greater than expected numbers of homologous IVF families.
- 88% of families agreed to receive information about future research studies.
Takeaway
This study looks at how things that happen to a baby while it's growing in the mom's belly can affect its health later on, and it finds a way to tell if those effects come from the mom's genes or from the environment.
Methodology
Families of children aged 5 to 9 years born by assisted reproductive technologies were contacted and asked to complete questionnaires about health and mental health risk factors.
Potential Biases
Potential under-representation of some risk factors due to the specific sample population.
Limitations
The study may not represent all risk factors and health problems related to older maternal age and IVF.
Participant Demographics
Children aged 5 to 9 years, with a mean age of 6.76 years; 51.3% boys and 48.7% girls.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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