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Androgenic and estrogenic indices in human newborns and infants: the MIREC-ID study

T-V Nguyen1,2,3, P Monnier2,3, G Muckle4

  • 1Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Royal Victoria Hospital, Montreal, QC, Canada.

Journal of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease
|March 23, 2019
PubMed

Insights

Newborn physical markers like anogenital distances and digit ratios can help assess prenatal sex hormone exposure. These minimally invasive measurements offer a comprehensive view of hormonal influences on child development.

Area of Science:

  • Endocrinology
  • Developmental Biology
  • Pediatrics

Background:

  • Prenatal sex steroid exposure is crucial for child development.
  • Measuring fetal hormone levels is challenging due to data scarcity and invasiveness.
  • Minimally invasive physical markers in newborns may reflect prenatal hormonal exposure.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To describe minimally invasive physical indices in newborns as potential markers of prenatal sex steroid exposure.
  • To investigate associations between physical indices and known hormonal exposures (androgens, estrogens).

Main Methods:

  • Descriptive data collected from the MIREC-ID study (173 girls, 162 boys).
  • Measured physical indices included anogenital distances (AGDs), penile length/width, scrotal/vulvar pigmentation, vaginal maturation index (VMI), 2nd-to-4th digit ratio (2D:4D), areolar pigmentation, skinfold thickness, and arm circumference.
  • Statistical analyses (e.g., regression) used to identify associations between indices.

Main Results:

  • Vaginal maturation index (VMI) associated with triceps skinfold thickness in girls, suggesting estrogen sensitivity.
  • Areolar pigmentation in girls associated with VMI, 2D:4D ratio, and AGD-fourchette, indicating a role as an index for both androgen and estrogen exposure.
  • Anogenital distance-penis (AGD-penis) associated with scrotal pigmentation and arm circumference in boys, supporting their use as androgen exposure markers.

Conclusions:

  • Several physical indices at birth can serve as valuable, minimally invasive markers for prenatal sex hormone exposure.
  • These markers provide a more comprehensive assessment of hormonal influences on development.
  • Findings support the utility of AGDs, VMI, 2D:4D ratio, and pigmentation in pediatric endocrinology research.

Keywords:
birthgonadal hormonespregnancysex differencessex steroids

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