Early Life Anti-Müllerian Hormone Trajectories in Infant Girls

Area of Science:

• Pediatric endocrinology
• Reproductive biology
• Infant development

Background:

• Minipuberty, a phase of heightened reproductive axis activity in infancy, is poorly understood, particularly in females.
• Previous research indicated peak hormone levels around 3-4 months of age.
• The significance of anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) during this period requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) trajectories in healthy infant girls.
• To explore the relationship between AMH patterns and other markers of reproductive development during infancy.
• To utilize longitudinal AMH measurements for a deeper understanding of early reproductive axis activity.

Main Methods:

• Longitudinal cohort study of 153 healthy infant girls over 36 weeks.
• Measurement of AMH, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), and estradiol levels.
• Latent class mixed-effects models to identify AMH concentration clusters and linear mixed models to analyze associated hormonal and ovarian trajectories.

Main Results:

• Four distinct AMH trajectory clusters were identified: decreasing, early peak, middle peak, and low.
• Significant differences in FSH trajectories, estradiol timing, and ovarian characteristics were observed across AMH clusters.
• These findings highlight variations in the timing and magnitude of the minipuberty response.

Conclusions:

• Identified AMH clusters reveal diverse patterns of infant reproductive axis activity.
• Novel 'decreasing' and 'low' AMH clusters warrant further study.
• These patterns may offer opportunities for early identification of future reproductive health conditions.