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Free testosterone levels in umbilical-cord blood predict infant head circumference in females
Andrew J O Whitehouse1, Murray T Maybery, Roger Hart
1Telethon Institute for Child Health Research, Centre for Child Health Research, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia. awhitehouse@ichr.uwa.edu.au
Insights
Prenatal androgen levels, specifically free testosterone, were inversely associated with infant head circumference growth. This suggests early-life androgens may influence infant brain development.
Area of Science:
- Endocrinology
- Neuroscience
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Fetal androgens are known to influence fetal growth and postnatal neurocognitive development.
- Prospective studies on the impact of early-life androgens on infant brain growth are limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between circulating fetal androgen levels at birth and infant head circumference growth.
- To explore the potential impact of prenatal androgens on early brain development.
Main Methods:
- Umbilical-cord blood was collected at birth from 82 female infants to measure androgen concentrations.
- Head circumference, weight, and length were measured within 3 days of birth and again around 1 year of age.
- Multivariate linear regression analyses were used to assess associations, adjusting for covariates.
Main Results:
- An inverse association was found between free testosterone levels and head circumference growth (correlation=-.24).
- This association remained significant after adjusting for sociodemographic, obstetric factors, and birth head size.
- Free testosterone concentration did not predict growth in weight or length.
Conclusions:
- This study provides the first evidence linking prenatal androgen levels to postnatal head circumference growth in infants.
- Findings suggest that early-life androgens may play a role in modulating infant brain development.
Aim:
Fetal androgens influence fetal growth as well as postnatal neurocognitive ability. However, to our knowledge, no published study has prospectively examined the impact of early-life androgens on infant brain growth. We report the association between circulating fetal androgen levels, measured from umbilical-cord blood at birth, and a proxy measure of brain growth: head circumference.
Method:
Participants were 82 unselected female infants from a large representative birth cohort (mean gestational age 39.4 wks, SD 1.7). Umbilical-cord blood was obtained at birth and analysed for androgen concentrations (total testosterone, androstenedione, dehyrdroepiandrosterone, and its sulphated metabolite). Head circumference and two other measures of growth - weight (mean 3311.4 g, SD 461.3) and length - were measured within 3 days of birth and again at approximately 1 year of age (mean age 13.1 mo, SD 1.1).
Results:
Multivariate linear regressions found an inverse association between levels of free testosterone and growth in head circumference (correlation=-.24), even when adjusting for sociodemographic/obstetric covariates and head size at birth. Growth in weight and length could not be predicted by free testosterone concentration.
Interpretation:
This is the first report of an association between prenatal androgen levels and postnatal growth in head circumference. These findings suggest that early-life androgens may impact brain development during infancy.
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