Early human development最新文献

{"title":"The impact of physical activities on physical literacy and cognitive performance of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).","authors":"Morteza Homayounnia Firouzjah, Morteza Pourazar, Saeed Nazari Kakvandi, Refail Azadian Dalasm","doi":"10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2025.106350","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2025.106350","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is one of the most severe childhood disorders and every child with this disorder has a unique situation in terms of strengths or challenges in cognitive, motor, emotional and social fields.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This study is semi-experimental with pre-test and post-test design and a control group. The statistical population in this research included all (ASD) from 8 to 12 years old in the educational centers for children with this disorder in Mazandaran province in 2024. Random sampling method was applied to select the target sample, based on which 30 children with autism spectrum disorders were selected for this study. The training program was taken from Horwitz and Sissel (Horwitz R), which includes reinforcement, games, and sports activities for children, performed by the experimental group for 24 sessions (60 min each session and for 70 days). Canadian Assessment of Physical Literacy - Second Edition (CAPL-2) was employed to assess physical literacy and Tower of London test for cognitive performance. The data were analyzed by multivariate covariance method.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The obtained results indicated that for the total physical literacy, the results of the post-hoc-test for the main effect of Practice intervention showed that the experimental group is significantly different from control group, all p < 0.05. Means comparisons showed that the experimental group resulted in higher physical literacy than control group. Also time test (reaction time) from the series of tests of the tower of London (Cognitive Performance) no significant differences two groups in the pre-test (F > 1), confirming that the two groups did not differ before training.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Therefore, it can be concluded that performing physical activities as an essential and main part of the daily schedule of these children can provide effective consequences in improving their cognitive performance and physical literacy.</p>","PeriodicalId":11435,"journal":{"name":"Early human development","volume":"210 ","pages":"106350"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144798481","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Associations between fetal movement and maternal-fetal attachment in late pregnancy.","authors":"Kathy Ayala, Lissa Falcioni, Jeff Eilbott, Jocelyn Lamore, Kristin Voegtline, Helena J V Rutherford","doi":"10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2025.106351","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2025.106351","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Maternal-fetal attachment (MFA) represents the evolving psychological bond between a pregnant person and their fetus, reflecting early emotional investment and expectations of the maternal role. Maternal awareness and response to fetal movement are key components of MFA, suggesting that fetal activity may serve as a meaningful cue in the development of maternal representations of the baby. Previous work shows that engaging in fetal movement counting significantly enhances MFA scores, and mothers who perceive greater fetal movements have higher MFA scores compared to those who perceive fewer movements. However, it remains unclear if this association reflects perception alone, or whether associations between objective fetal movement and MFA exist. Therefore, we objectively measured fetal movement alongside MFA in 51 pregnant women (mean age 28.9 years, SD = 6.0) in their third trimester (mean gestational weeks 36.7, SD = 2.2). Fetal movement was objectively measured with a Toitu MT-516 fetal actocardiograph and MFA was assessed using the Prenatal Attachment Inventory-Revised. Greater fetal movement was associated with higher MFA scores, independent of maternal mood, parity, knowledge of fetal sex, and gestational age. Taken together, these findings underscore the relevance of fetal movement within the psychology of pregnancy, suggesting that fetal movement outside of maternal perception may function as a communicative signal to enhance MFA. As maternal-fetal attachment is linked to postpartum bonding and caregiving, understanding these prenatal associations provides insight into how early psychological and relational processes shape postnatal development across the perinatal period.</p>","PeriodicalId":11435,"journal":{"name":"Early human development","volume":"210 ","pages":"106351"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144798480","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Brain ultrasound radiomics identify textural differences in basal ganglia and white matter between full term newborns HIV-exposed uninfected and HIV-unexposed in Botswana.","authors":"Laith R Sultan, Karen I Ramirez-Suarez, Sara Rae Schenkel, Monica Miranda Schaeubinger, Carmen Cerron-Vela, Samuel W Kgole, Gosego Masasa, Boitshepo Phale, Joseph Makhema, Thuso Mokane, Elizabeth D Lowenthal, Kathleen M Powis, Hansel J Otero","doi":"10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2025.106368","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2025.106368","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Over 1 million infants born annually with fetal exposure to HIV and maternal antiretroviral treatment (ART) who remain HIV-uninfected (HEU) are at higher risk of neurodevelopmental delays compared to infants HIV-unexposed (HU).</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>We explored the use of brain ultrasound radiomics, specifically texture analysis, as an early imaging neurodevelopmental biomarker, comparing findings by newborn in utero HIV exposure status.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Brain ultrasound was performed on full-term newborns (≥ 37 weeks gestation) enrolled in a prospective observational study in Botswana. Radiomic ultrasound features, including first-order statistics, run-length, and co-occurrence matrix parameters, were extracted from the basal ganglia and periventricular white matter. Statistical comparisons were conducted based on fetal exposure to maternal HIV. The diagnostic performance of individual features was assessed, and logistic regression was used to combine the features for overall performance evaluation.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Thirty-three infants (HEU: 20, HU: 13) were included in the analysis. The basal ganglia of HEU infants exhibited significantly lower heterogeneity (176.6 ± 10.76 vs. 205.97 ± 13.26, p = 0.04) and entropy (0.37 ± 0.01 vs. 0.41 ± 0.01, p = 0.03), and marginally lower gray level non-uniformity (310.04 ± 15.32 vs. 352.37 ± 24.20, p = 0.06) compared to HU infants, suggesting reduced parenchymal complexity. These combined radiomic features yielded an AUC of 0.72 with a specificity of 0.86. Similar trends were observed in the white matter, where HEU infants demonstrated marginally lower heterogeneity (191.66 ± 14.32 vs. 231.76 ± 17.34, p = 0.06). Gray level non-uniformity and run length non-uniformity were significantly lower in the HEU group (1996.87 ± 157.06 vs. 2487.43 ± 223.67, p = 0.04 and 284.66 ± 20.37 vs. 406.61 ± 47.77, p = 0.01, respectively). The combined white matter model demonstrated an AUC of 0.76 and a sensitivity of 0.86, indicating greater discriminatory power compared to the basal ganglia.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Ultrasound radiomics reveals distinct differences in brain texture between HEU and HU newborns, with significant findings in both basal ganglia and white matter features. These results highlight the potential of radiomics in identifying subtle neuroanatomical variations. Further research is needed to explore the neurodevelopmental implications of these findings.</p>","PeriodicalId":11435,"journal":{"name":"Early human development","volume":"210 ","pages":"106368"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144803769","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The effect of maternal blood glucose control on infant body composition at birth.","authors":"Lauren E Staiger, Kara Wong Ramsey, James Davis, Catherine Tarleton, Sheree Kuo","doi":"10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2025.106347","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2025.106347","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>The objectives of this study were to determine whether infants born to mothers with gestational or pregestational diabetes (IDM) and infants born to mothers with uncomplicated pregnancies have differences in percent body fat at birth, and to examine the relationship between glycemic control in pregnancy and infant body fat.</p><p><strong>Study design: </strong>Percent body fat was measured in 132 IDM in the well-baby nursery using air displacement plethysmography and compared to a previously published cohort of 249 healthy control infants using t-tests. Linear regression models were used to examine the relationship between maternal glycemic control and infant percent body fat at birth.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The difference in body fat between IDM and infants born to mothers with uncomplicated pregnancies was not clinically significant (12.9 ± 5 % vs 13.9 ± 4 %, p < 0.05). Among IDM, increasing maternal fasting blood glucose values and increasing percentages of elevated post-prandial glucose values were associated with increasing infant percent body fat. (β=0.19 and 0.08 respectively, P < 0.05).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Our cohort of healthy IDM that remained admitted to the term nursery did not have a clinically significant difference in percent body fat compared to control infants born to mothers with uncomplicated pregnancies. Among IDM, elevated maternal glucose levels correlated with increased infant percent body fat, suggesting glycemic control in pregnancy can affect body composition within this population.</p>","PeriodicalId":11435,"journal":{"name":"Early human development","volume":"210 ","pages":"106347"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144811949","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A scoping review of responsive caregiving in diverse populations and its association with child development","authors":"Eunice Lobo ,&nbsp;Sandeep Mahapatra ,&nbsp;Joshua Jeong ,&nbsp;Giridhara Rathnaiah Babu ,&nbsp;Prashanth Nuggehalli Srinivas ,&nbsp;Debarati Mukherjee ,&nbsp;Onno C.P. van Schayck","doi":"10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2025.106424","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2025.106424","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Responsive caregiving is a key component of nurturing care and crucial for early child development. While responsive caregiving has been examined in multiple studies, a comprehensive review summarizing findings from these studies across diverse caregiver, child, cultural, and socio-economic contexts is currently lacking.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We conducted a scoping review to synthesize evidence on (1) caregiver, child, and contextual factors influencing responsive caregiving and (2) association between responsive caregiving and children's neurodevelopment and mental health. We included peer-reviewed English articles describing responsive caregiving for children aged 0–8 years. Articles were systematically searched in PubMed, Web of Science, APA PsychInfo, APA PsycArticles, SocINDEX, Google Scholar, and the reference lists of included articles. Relevant data were extracted, collated, and synthesized into descriptive summaries and associations with children's development.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>We retrieved 7412 unique studies for title/abstract screening and 541 full-texts were screened and 138 studies met the inclusion criteria. Caregiver characteristics, including caregiver type, maternal health, and demographics, influenced responsive caregiving, with notable differences between mothers and fathers. Child-level factors, such as developmental disabilities, age, term or preterm birth status, and gender, also shaped responsive caregiving. Cultural context and socio-economic status also influenced responsive caregiving across populations. Language development was the most frequently reported with responsive caregiving.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>This scoping review maps how caregiver, child, and contextual factors influence responsive caregiving. Significant gaps remain in understanding caregiving in the under-researched Global South settings. Policymakers and practitioners should consider socio-cultural contexts, along with the pathways and mechanisms, when designing inclusive interventions that strengthen caregiving and support child development.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11435,"journal":{"name":"Early human development","volume":"212 ","pages":"Article 106424"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-10-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145369778","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Hidden heroes in breast milk: The dual roles of phospholipids and sphingolipids in infant immunity and brain development","authors":"Yequan Xu ,&nbsp;Xinkai Zhao ,&nbsp;Zhenyu Ding ,&nbsp;Shanyu Jiang ,&nbsp;Renqiang Yu","doi":"10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2025.106409","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2025.106409","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Compared with formula-fed infants, those who are breast-fed consistently demonstrate superior immune maturation, neurodevelopment, and cognitive performance, an advantage attributable, in part, to the complex bioactive lipidome of human milk. This review highlights the mechanistic roles of milk-derived phospholipids and sphingolipids in orchestrating these benefits. It critically evaluates their emerging clinical applications in preventing infection, allergy, and neurodevelopmental disorders, thereby establishing a framework for future strategies to optimize infant nutrition and developmental trajectories.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11435,"journal":{"name":"Early human development","volume":"211 ","pages":"Article 106409"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-10-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145354028","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Digit Ratio (2D:4D) and lactate response during a football-specific intermittent field fitness test in women","authors":"Hadi Nobari ,&nbsp;Elena Mainer-Pardos ,&nbsp;Demetrio Lozano ,&nbsp;John T. Manning ,&nbsp;Koulla Parpa ,&nbsp;Laura Mason ,&nbsp;Marcos Michaelides ,&nbsp;Alberto Roso-Moliner","doi":"10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2025.106414","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2025.106414","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Lactate, an important respiratory substrate, is generated during exercise. Digit ratio (2D:4D) is strongly associated with lactate in men over a range of exercise intensities, but in women the association has been reported as weaker and restricted to high running speeds. Here we report a replication of this finding in women employing the 30–15 Intermittent Fitness Test (30–15 IFT).</div></div><div><h3>Method</h3><div>The participants were amateur female football players. Digit lengths, height, body composition and VO_2max were measured. The 30–15 IFT involves 30-s shuttle runs between lines positioned 40 m apart. Audio signals determine the pace, starting at 10 km/h and increasing by 0.5 km/h to a maximum of 18 km/h.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Mean lactate levels (mmol/L) rose with running speed, ranging from 2.13 (±0.78) to 13.63 (±2.83). At running speeds 12 km/h to 16 km/h (<em>n</em> = 28 and 26 respectively) there were positive correlations between lactate and weight and BMI and negative associations with VO_2max. At 18 km/h (<em>n</em> = 16) right 2D:4D was positively related and height negatively related to lactate. The former remained significant after the effect of height was removed.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Our findings from the 30–15 IFT in the field are similar to those reported from a laboratory treadmill test. The digit ratio, especially right 2D:4D, is positively associated with lactate levels during running in women, independent of height. In contrast previous findings in men the association applies to high running speeds only.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11435,"journal":{"name":"Early human development","volume":"211 ","pages":"Article 106414"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-10-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145354094","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Predicting mid-term hearing and developmental outcome in clinically inapparent congenital cytomegalovirus infection with hearing loss at birth","authors":"Pui Khi Chung ,&nbsp;Fleurtje A.J. Schornagel ,&nbsp;J. Goeman ,&nbsp;Ann C.T.M. Vossen","doi":"10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2025.106412","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2025.106412","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>objective</h3><div>To assess the predictive value of clinical factors in children with clinically inapparent congenital cytomegalovirus infection (cCMV) and sensorineural hearing loss, for hearing and neurodevelopmental outcome.</div></div><div><h3>Study design</h3><div>This was a post hoc analysis of data from a nonrandomized trial performed in 37 infants (25 treated with 6 weeks valganciclovir, 12 controls) with cCMV and hearing loss, diagnosed after failing Newborn Hearing Screening. Candidate predictors were head circumference, birth weight, gestational age, neuroimaging results, and baseline hearing loss laterality. The primary outcome was the absolute change in hearing in the best ear (dB) from baseline to follow-up at 18–22 months. Secondary outcomes included change in hearing per ear (‘total-ear’ analysis) and neurodevelopmental outcomes measured by the Bayley Scales of Infant Development (BSID-III) at 18–22 months. Per candidate factor, bivariate linear regression models adjusted for treatment were performed.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>No correlations were found between candidate predictors and the primary hearing outcome. Linear correlations were observed for neurodevelopmental outcomes: severity of neuroimaging abnormalities was associated with cognitive and motor BSID-III scores (both <em>P</em> &lt; 0.001) and head circumference with motor score (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.001). No severe motor delay was seen in children with a head circumference above −1 SD, and infants with mild or moderate neuroimaging abnormalities generally had normal development or mild delay. Severe cognitive and motor delays were observed only in those with severe neuroimaging findings.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>In children with clinically inapparent cCMV and hearing loss, head circumference and neuroimaging severity may be useful for predicting cognitive and motor outcomes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11435,"journal":{"name":"Early human development","volume":"211 ","pages":"Article 106412"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-10-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145307230","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Health-related quality of life in school-aged children born very preterm and/or with very low birth weight compared to term-born peers in Southern Brazil","authors":"Rafael Oliveira Fernandes ,&nbsp;Simone Lanius dos Reis ,&nbsp;Joana da Costa Eschiletti ,&nbsp;Julia Jaekel ,&nbsp;Renato Soibelmann Procianoy ,&nbsp;Rita C. Silveira","doi":"10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2025.106411","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2025.106411","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Of 13.4 million children born preterm each year globally, 12 million are born in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Children born very preterm (&lt;32 weeks gestation; VP) and/or with very low birth weight (&lt;1500 g; VLBW) may grow up with low health-related quality of life (HRQoL); however, information on this topic remains scarce in LMICs. Therefore, the aim of this study was to compare HRQoL between children born VP/VLBW and their term-born peers in Brazil.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>This observational study assessed children born VP and/or VLBW compared with term-born peers, aged 8 to 14 years. Clinical evaluations and the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL 4.0) were administered.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>A total of 140 children were evaluated: 81 in the VP/VLBW group (11.4 ± 1.7 years; 42 girls and 39 boys) and 59 in the term-born group (mean age: 11.0 ± 1.2 years; 26 girls and 33 boys). Preterm children reported lower total HRQoL scores compared to the term-born group, after adjusting for biological and social confounders (mean difference − 5.6 [95 % CI: −10.0, –1.2]). Parents of VP/VLBW group rated their children's total HRQoL as lower (mean difference − 7.5 [95 % CI: −12.8, −2.1]), especially in the psychosocial scores (mean difference − 8.4 [95 % CI: −13.7, −3.2]) compared to parents of term-born children. VP/VLBW girls presented the lowest total HRQoL scores, especially in the emotional dimension. Neonatal morbidities did not impact HRQoL within the VP/VLBW group.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>School-aged children born VP/VLBW in an LMIC exhibit lower HRQoL than their term-born peers. Particular attention should be paid to HRQoL among girls born VP/VLBW and how it may affect their mental health needs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11435,"journal":{"name":"Early human development","volume":"212 ","pages":"Article 106411"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-10-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145369777","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Prenatal hormonal signature (2D:4D) and dental maturation in childhood: a prospective study","authors":"Türkan Ünal ,&nbsp;Fatma Nur Kızılay ,&nbsp;Emine Gülşen","doi":"10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2025.106410","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2025.106410","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>The second-to-fourth digit ratio (2D:4D) is a stable anthropometric marker thought to reflect prenatal androgen–estrogen balance. Although 2D:4D has been linked to developmental timing, its association with dental maturation remains unclear. This study evaluated whether 2D:4D relates to dental development in children and assessed its potential as a complementary biomarker.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>In this study, 300 healthy children (150 girls, 150 boys; 6–12 years) were enrolled. Bilateral 2D:4D was measured with digital calipers (0.01 mm accuracy). Dental age was determined from panoramic radiographs using Demirjian's method. Analyses included <em>t</em>-tests/ANOVA, Pearson correlations, and multiple linear regression with chronological age, sex, body mass index (BMI), and 2D:4D as covariates. Hand-specific and sex-stratified comparisons were pre-specified; multiple testing was controlled using the Benjamini–Hochberg false-discovery rate (FDR) procedure, with significance set at <em>q</em> &lt; 0.05 (false discovery rate–adjusted <em>p</em>-value).</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Mean chronological age was 9.10 ± 1.99 years, dental age 9.09 ± 2.03 years, and BMI 16.51 ± 1.89 kg/m². 2D:4D showed clear sex differences (higher in girls, <em>p</em> &lt; 0.001). Chronological and dental ages were strongly correlated (<em>r</em> = 0.976, <em>p</em> &lt; 0.001). In the overall sample, dental age correlated weakly with 2D:4D (right: <em>r</em> = 0.155, <em>p</em> = 0.007; left: <em>r</em> = 0.135, <em>p</em> = 0.019). Sex-stratified analyses indicated a positive but non-significant trend in girls (right: <em>r</em> = 0.135, <em>p</em> = 0.099; left: <em>r</em> = 0.110, <em>p</em> = 0.181) and no association in boys (all <em>p</em> &gt; 0.05). In multivariable models, chronological age was the strongest predictor (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.001); 2D:4D contributed independently (<em>β</em> = 0.12–0.16, <em>p</em> &lt; 0.001), while BMI was not significant.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>2D:4D shows a weak association with dental maturation at the population level. Within-sex analyses reveal a non-significant positive trend in girls and no association in boys. As a simple, non-invasive measure, 2D:4D may provide supportive information alongside radiographic methods; confirmation in larger, longitudinal, sex-specific cohorts is warranted.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11435,"journal":{"name":"Early human development","volume":"211 ","pages":"Article 106410"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-10-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145307219","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}