Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 2, 2025

Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale
19:15

Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale

Published on: August 25, 2014

85.8K

Profiles and predictors of child neurodevelopment and anthropometry: The maternal-infant research on environmental

Marisa A Patti1, Karl T Kelsey1, Amanda J MacFarlane2,3

  • 1Department of Epidemiology, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.

Journal of Multimorbidity and Comorbidity
|January 13, 2025
PubMed

Insights

This study identified distinct profiles of child neurodevelopment and adiposity, revealing associations with socioeconomic factors and maternal health. Understanding these complex patterns is crucial for targeted interventions in early childhood development.

Area of Science:

  • Child Health Research
  • Developmental Pediatrics
  • Environmental Health

Background:

  • Individual health metrics overlook co-occurring conditions in children.
  • Childhood health is multifaceted, encompassing neurodevelopment and physical growth.
  • Comprehensive assessment is needed to understand children's health trajectories.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To define distinct profiles of neurodevelopment and anthropometry in 3-year-old children.
  • To identify predictors associated with these identified health profiles.
  • To explore the interplay between neurodevelopmental and anthropometric outcomes.

Main Methods:

  • Latent profile analysis applied to 12 neurodevelopmental and anthropometric traits in 501 mother-child pairs from the MIREC Study.
  • Prospective cohort study design examining children at age 3.
  • Multinomial regression used to assess associations with maternal, sociodemographic, and child characteristics.

Main Results:

  • Three neurodevelopmental profiles emerged: Non-optimal (9%), Typical (49%), and Optimal (42%).
  • Three anthropometric profiles were identified: Low (12%), Average (61%), and Excess Adiposity (27%).
  • Lower socioeconomic status, birth factors, and maternal mental health predicted non-optimal neurodevelopment; maternal BMI predicted excess adiposity.

Conclusions:

  • Childhood neurodevelopment and adiposity present in distinct phenotypic profiles.
  • These profiles are linked to a range of maternal, sociodemographic, and child-level factors.
  • Co-occurrence of non-optimal neurodevelopment and excess adiposity was infrequent.
Abstract

Keywords:
Anthropometrychild healthco-occurring conditionsmultimorbidityneurodevelopmentphenome

More Related Videos

Author Spotlight: Collecting the Brain and Serum from the Same Mice Fetus to Study Brain Tumor Development05:44

Author Spotlight: Collecting the Brain and Serum from the Same Mice Fetus to Study Brain Tumor Development

Published on: May 17, 2024

511
Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study09:36

Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study

Published on: February 2, 2017

27.0K

Related Concept Videos

Environmental Influences on Intelligence01:29

Environmental Influences on Intelligence

Despite the strong genetic influence on traits like intelligence, environmental factors significantly shape outcomes. For example, while over 90% of height variation is due to genetic differences, environmental factors such as nutrition also have a notable impact. Similarly, for intelligence, changes in a child's surroundings can significantly alter their IQ. Research shows that enriched environments boost children's academic success and help them develop key cognitive skills. Children...
188
Nature and Nurture01:10

Nature and Nurture

Many human characteristics, like height, are shaped by both nature—in other words, by our genes—and by nurture, or our environment. For example, chronic stress during childhood inhibits the production of growth hormones and consequently reduces bone growth and height. Scientists estimate that 70-90% of variation in height is due to genetic differences among individuals, and 10-30% of variation in height is due to differences in the environments that individuals experience,...
20.4K
Socioemotional Development during Infancy01:30

Socioemotional Development during Infancy

Socio-emotional development in infancy is primarily shaped by early emotional responses and social connections, with temperament playing a central role. Temperament refers to the consistent patterns in an individual's emotional and behavioral responses, observable even in infancy. By examining temperament, researchers can better understand an infant's unique ways of interacting with the world, influencing subsequent personality and socio-emotional growth.
Primary Temperament Types
36
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder01:30

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by persistent inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. It affects approximately 5-8% of children globally, with around 60-70% of cases persisting into adulthood. ADHD has significant implications for educational attainment, social interactions, and occupational success.
Diagnostic Criteria and Symptoms
To diagnose ADHD, symptoms must manifest before age 12 and be evident across multiple settings....
36
Biological Influences on Intelligence01:30

Biological Influences on Intelligence

Intelligence is often thought to be linked to brain size, but the relationship is more complex than that. While brain size does correlate modestly with some abilities, like verbal skills, the connection is weaker for others, such as spatial reasoning. Other factors, like brain structure, also play crucial roles. For instance, despite Einstein's smaller-than-average brain, his parietal cortex, which is involved in spatial reasoning, was 15% wider, suggesting that neural density might matter...
69
The Nativist Approach01:21

The Nativist Approach

The nativist approach to infant cognitive development proposes that infants are born with inherent knowledge structures that allow them to interpret the world almost immediately. This perspective contrasts with earlier developmental theories, such as those proposed by Jean Piaget, which emphasized a more gradual acquisition of cognitive abilities through interaction with the environment. One key concept in this approach is object permanence — the understanding that objects continue to...
33