Early human development最新文献

{"title":"Longitudinal profiling of host- and microbe-derived lipid metabolites in human breast milk.","authors":"Masashi Hotta, Koji Hosomi, Keita Uchiyama, Mari Furuta, Yoko Tojima, Shigenobu Kishino, Noriko Shibuya, Jun Ogawa, Jun Kunisawa","doi":"10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2026.106697","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2026.106697","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>Breast milk contains lipid metabolites and is indispensable for the growth and development of neonates and infants. However, studies investigating interindividual variations in human breast milk composition and the longitudinal changes in its constituent lipid metabolites remain limited. The temporal and individual patterns of variations in these metabolites were characterized to provide a foundation for future research on precision nutrition in infants.</p><p><strong>Study design: </strong>Samples of human breast milk were collected shortly after birth and at 1 and 6 months postpartum, from participants who delivered healthy, full-term infants. Lipidomic analysis involving liquid chromatography coupled with tandem-mass spectrometry was used to quantify the levels of host- and microbe-derived fatty acid metabolites in the samples. The population was classified into five groups and analyzed based on the distribution of fatty acid substrate at 0 months.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Breast milk samples from 116 participants were analyzed. The group-specific metabolite profiles were classified into three distinct patterns. The concentrations of substrates and many metabolites increased from birth to 1 month, particularly among samples with lower baseline concentrations, whereas from 1 to 6 months, some metabolites remained stable, while others decreased. These patterns were associated with differences in the metabolic pathways.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Longitudinal lipid metabolites, including microbe-derived metabolites, in human breast milk and presented characteristic patterns. These findings provide foundational data for future research on precision nutrition for infants based on the metabolic profiles of breast milk.</p>","PeriodicalId":11435,"journal":{"name":"Early human development","volume":"224 ","pages":"106697"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-10-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149227463","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":"Corrigendum to \"Parenteral nutrition-associated cholestasis and postnatal growth trajectories in preterm infants: A longitudinal cohort study\" [Early Hum. Dev. 224 (2027) 106672].","authors":"Kamal Ali, Lina Alsherbini, Manal Alshareef, Amal Alharbi, Alanoud Allowaimy, Mohanned Alrahili, Talal Aljarbou, Musab Alshareef, Abdulaziz Homedi, Saif Alsaif","doi":"10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2026.106695","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2026.106695","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":11435,"journal":{"name":"Early human development","volume":" ","pages":"106695"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-10-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149166426","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":"Maternal language barriers and preterm infants' general movements: Evidence from a multilingual population.","authors":"Britta Huening, Nils Jaekel, Anne-Kathrin Dathe, Lisa Middendorf, Johanna Bialas, Ursula Felderhoff-Mueser, Julia Jaekel","doi":"10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2026.106694","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2026.106694","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Aim: </strong>To assess whether immigrant mothers' language barriers are associated with the motor development of infants born preterm, assessed using the Prechtl General Movement Assessment. The assessment of these spontaneous movements allows the prediction of cerebral palsy and neurodevelopmental delay.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The study included 508 infants born at 22-36 weeks gestation. At a corrected age of three to five months, general movements were assessed according to Prechtl, and a subsample of 251 infants also underwent coding with the Motor Optimality Score - Revised. Language barriers were measured using continuous linguistic distance scores between mothers' first languages and German (range 0-102.40).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Of all mothers, 53.94% had an immigrant background and 45.10% reported a first language other than German. Higher linguistic distance was associated with a lower likelihood of fidgety movements being present (OR = 0.99, p < .05), although this association did not remain significant after adjustment for confounders. In contrast, higher linguistic distance was negatively associated with the Motor Optimality Score - Revised, an association that remained significant after adjustment for confounders, in both the univariate (B = -0.02 [-0.03, -0.01], β = -0.20, p < .001) and fully adjusted model (β = -0.17, p < .01; adjusted for gestational age, infant sex, severe brain lesions and maternal education).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Language barriers in the form of linguistic distance between mothers' first languages and their host country's majority language are associated with the early motor development of infants born preterm. Future research needs to disentangle how language barriers, intersectional vulnerabilities, and potential assessment biases affect infant development and follow-up services.</p>","PeriodicalId":11435,"journal":{"name":"Early human development","volume":" ","pages":"106694"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-10-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149179814","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":"Detection of female genital tract abnormalities in antenatally detected fetal unilateral renal agenesis: Original retrospective case series with review of literature.","authors":"Christina Resta, Konstantinos Malligiannis Ntalianis, Brianna Cloke, Lisa Story, Spyridon Bakalis, Pankaj Mishra, Massimo Garriboli, Srividhya Sankaran","doi":"10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2026.106692","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2026.106692","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>In females, unilateral renal agenesis is associated with genital tract abnormalities, which can cause complications in childhood and beyond. However, its prevalence and characteristics are not consistently integrated into antenatal counselling.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>An original retrospective case series study (2005-2024) at Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital identified fetuses with isolated antenatally diagnosed unilateral renal agenesis from an Astraia database, with standardized 6-week postnatal imaging.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>110 cases of renal agenesis were identified. Of these, fifteen cases (n = 15) were excluded due to bilateral renal agenesis and five due to additional extra-renal abnormalities (n = 5). Outcome data was unavailable for 13 cases. Of the remaining 77 cases, 44 were males and 33 females. Of female fetuses,7 were diagnosed as pelvic kidneys postnatally, with no additional abnormalities present. From the remaining 26 cases with true unilateral renal agenesis, 5 (19%) were found to have associated genital tract abnormalities, which included uterovaginal fistula (n = 2) and Herlyn-Werner-Wunderlich syndrome with a bicornuate uterus (n = 3) identified at the six-week postnatal scan.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Among female infants with isolated unilateral renal agenesis, 19% had associated genital tract malformations, underscoring the need for antenatal counselling and multidisciplinary approach beginning in the prenatal period.</p>","PeriodicalId":11435,"journal":{"name":"Early human development","volume":"224 ","pages":"106692"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-10-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149223574","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 second-to-fourth digit ratio (2D:4D) does not distinguish licensed taekwondo athletes from age-matched sedentary individuals","authors":"Rabia Tasdemir ,&nbsp;Cansu Oztürk ,&nbsp;Ebru Sena Poyraz ,&nbsp;Nevzat Gonder ,&nbsp;Omer Faruk Cihan","doi":"10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2026.106514","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2026.106514","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>The primary aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the second-to-fourth digit ratio (2D:4D), a putative marker of prenatal sex hormone exposure, and sports talent among children and adolescents under 18 years of age practicing taekwondo. The 2D:4D ratio is thought to reflect intrauterine testosterone and estrogen exposure, and has been associated in some studies with physical performance and athletic potential.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>This cross-sectional study included licensed taekwondo athletes aged 9–17 years from Gaziantep, Turkiye, and an age-matched control group of non-athletic healthy peers. Finger lengths were measured directly using a digital caliper with 0.1 mm precision, and the 2D:4D ratios for both hands were calculated. Demographic and anthropometric data, hand and foot dominance were also recorded.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Sex-based analysis revealed that female athletes exhibited significantly higher right and left 2D:4D ratios than male athletes (<em>p</em> = 0.012 and <em>p</em> = 0.010, respectively). In the control group, females had significantly higher right and left 2D:4D ratios but lower body weight, BMI, and right and left fourth-digit lengths compared to males (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.05). No significant differences were identified between sex-matched athlete and control participants (<em>p</em> &gt; 0.05). Analysis according to hand and foot laterality showed no significant differences within the control group; however, right-foot-dominant athletes demonstrated significantly higher right-hand 2D:4D ratios (<em>p</em> = 0.022). Logistic regression analysis indicated that neither finger length nor 2D:4D ratio exerted a statistically significant effect on athletic ability (p &gt; 0.05).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>To our knowledge, this is the first study to examine the relationship between 2D:4D ratios and taekwondo performance in both male and female youth athletes in a Turkish population. The results suggest that the 2D:4D ratio may not serve as a reliable biomarker for athletic talent in this demographic. Further research including elite athletes and samples from diverse regions is warranted to confirm these findings.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11435,"journal":{"name":"Early human development","volume":"216 ","pages":"Article 106514"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146131419","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":"Longitudinal examination of early motor ability and motor developmental change to predict two-year cognitive outcomes in preterm infants","authors":"Kanishka Baduni ,&nbsp;Caitlin P. Kjeldsen ,&nbsp;Mary Lauren Neel ,&nbsp;Joshua Lukemire ,&nbsp;Larken R. Marra ,&nbsp;Phillip.D. Tomporowski ,&nbsp;Nathalie L. Maitre","doi":"10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2026.106515","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2026.106515","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Preterm infants have high rates of motor and cognitive delays. Early motor function is a key indicator of later cognitive ability in preterm infants, yet the specificity of fine- and gross-motor contributions to cognition remains unclear.</div></div><div><h3>Aims</h3><div>To determine (1) whether 12-month motor ability is a predictor for 24-month cognition when cognitive items are partitioned into established fine-motor-dependent (FMD) and fine-motor-minimized (FMM) cognitive subsets, and (2) whether fine- and gross-motor changes from 12 to 24 months are prospectively associated with 24-month global cognition.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Data were drawn from a longitudinal NICU cohort (<em>N</em> = 114). Neuromotor status was assessed using the Hammersmith Infant Neurological Examination (HINE) and developmental metrics with the Bayley. Multivariate regression examined 12-month motor ability and 24-month cognitive outcomes (Aim 1). Linear regression modeled fine- (ΔFM) and gross-motor (ΔGM) change from 12 to 24 months predicting 24-month cognition (Aim 2), adjusting for gestational age, baseline cognition, and neuromotor classification.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Higher 12-month motor ability predicted higher 24-month cognition across both FMD (β = 0.21, <em>p</em> = .037) and FMM (β = 0.07, <em>p</em> = .021) cognitive outcomes. Fine-motor change from 12 to 24 months (ΔFM) predicted higher 24-month cognition (β = 0.32, <em>p</em> = .002), whereas gross-motor change (ΔGM) was nonsignificant (β = −0.06, <em>p</em> = .74).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Early global motor competence and subsequent FM growth both relate to cognitive development in preterm infants. Results suggest a developmental shift from generalized motor development to FM specialization across the second year, identifying FM progression as a potential marker of cognitive advancement in early childhood.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11435,"journal":{"name":"Early human development","volume":"216 ","pages":"Article 106515"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146156528","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":"Developmental progression of bottle-feeding in the first year of life","authors":"Alaina Martens ,&nbsp;Jessica Davidson ,&nbsp;Katharine Radville ,&nbsp;Natalie Peterman ,&nbsp;Hayden Kamiya ,&nbsp;Kristen Allison ,&nbsp;Emily Zimmerman","doi":"10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2026.106507","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2026.106507","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Nutritive sucking (NS), the primary nutritional intake mechanism for infants, represents the cornerstone of early feeding development. NS depends on the integration of efficiency, safety, and coordination to ensure adequate growth and development. Prior work has examined feeding skills at single timepoints. However, information on feeding proficiency and effectiveness across the course of development is limited. Further, despite the importance of nutrition as the main purpose for infant feeding, few clinical instruments exist for quantifying infant feeding physiology. Twenty-seven mother-infant dyads participated in this prospective, longitudinal study with repeated measures at three, six, and nine months. Oral feeding skills were evaluated using the Oral Feeding Skills (OFS) Scale to gather quantitative measurements of infants' feeding abilities [1]. The scale was completed while caregivers bottle-feed their infant. The initial volume of milk offered increased significantly with age. Transfer rate was significantly faster at nine months as compared to at three months. There were no significant effects of age on OFS proficiency or overall transfer volume at any timepoint. These findings provide insights into caregiver practices and infant maturation of bottle feeding. They suggest that while the mechanics of feeding (speed, volume) change with development, fundamental feeding behavior and appetite regulation remain stable.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11435,"journal":{"name":"Early human development","volume":"216 ","pages":"Article 106507"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146131437","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":"Significant reduction in intrapartum-related perinatal brain injury in infants born at ≥35 weeks' gestation: A regional population-based study over 15 years","authors":"Koutarou Doi ,&nbsp;Yuki Kodama ,&nbsp;Satoshi Matsuzawa ,&nbsp;Tomoko Goto ,&nbsp;Junsuke Muraoka ,&nbsp;Midori Fujisaki ,&nbsp;Naoshi Yamada ,&nbsp;Hajime Taniguchi ,&nbsp;Ken Furuta ,&nbsp;Yasuyuki Kawagoe ,&nbsp;Masatoki Kaneko ,&nbsp;Shinji Katsuragi ,&nbsp;Tsuyomu Ikenoue ,&nbsp;Hiroshi Sameshima","doi":"10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2026.106495","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2026.106495","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>The ultimate goal of perinatal care is to ensure that infants survive without neurological impairment. Despite advances in medical technology and healthcare systems that have markedly decreased perinatal mortality, cerebral palsy has shown only a gradual decline in recent population-based studies. The aim of this study was to use a pathway classification system to analyze brain injury cases detected at or beyond 35 weeks' gestation and to clarify temporal changes in the incidence and causal pathways of intrapartum brain injury and its contributing factors in Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Of 151,558 births recorded in Miyazaki Prefecture from 2001 to 2015, 303 cases of brain injury were registered in the regional perinatal case-review system. Of these, 134 were detected at ≥35 weeks. Brain injury was categorized as congenital anomalies, antepartum, intrapartum, or neonatal onset. Each case was further classified using a pathway system that considered distal and proximal risk factors. Temporal trend analysis was performed across three consecutive 5-year intervals (2001–2005, 2006–2010, and 2011–2015).</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Of the 134 cases, 25% were classified as intrapartum-related, 23% as antepartum-related, and 5% as neonatal-related. Overall, the incidence of brain injury at ≥35 weeks decreased significantly over time. Significant downward trends were observed in total cases and intrapartum-related brain injury, with the reduction in intrapartum cases being especially pronounced. Antepartum-related brain injury declined more gradually. Further analysis revealed that the incidence of hypoxia-related intrapartum brain injuries decreased over time, whereas bacterial infection-related intrapartum cases were observed only in the earliest epoch.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>This population-based study identified temporal changes in perinatal brain injury detected at or beyond 35 weeks' gestation over 15 years. The incidence of perinatal brain injury declined significantly, particularly intrapartum-related cases with hypoxia-related injury. These improvements might reflect advances in regionalized perinatal care, the establishment of perinatal centers, or multidisciplinary education and training. Further efforts to optimize intrapartum assessment and management would contribute to continued reductions in severe perinatal brain injury.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11435,"journal":{"name":"Early human development","volume":"216 ","pages":"Article 106495"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146096065","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":"Aerobic and anaerobic competence in preterm born children at the age of 10–14 years","authors":"Peter Andriessen ,&nbsp;Julia Meijer ,&nbsp;Anke Moret ,&nbsp;Noortje van den Dungen ,&nbsp;Martine van Dam ,&nbsp;Ellen de Kort ,&nbsp;Wendy Aertssen","doi":"10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2026.106482","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2026.106482","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Preterm birth has been associated with reduced motor competence and may contribute to diminished aerobic and anaerobic endurance.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>To assess physical fitness in preterm-born youth and explore perinatal and earlier motor performances as mediators.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Eighty preterm infants (&lt;30 weeks' gestation), previously assessed for motor performance at 5.5 and 8 years, were re-evaluated at 10–14 years using the Movement Assessment Battery for Children, the Modified Shuttle Test-Paeds (MSTP), and a 4 × 10 m sprint test.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Only 39% of participants at age 10–14 years scored within the normal motor range (total motor score &gt; 16th percentile). Mean MSTP-predicted peak VO₂ was 37.7 ± 5.7 ml/kg/min, with 55% below the 10th percentile. Sprint time averaged 13.9 ± 1.3 s, with 64% below the 10th percentile. Maternal education was significantly associated with normal motor development, but not with aerobic or anaerobic capacity. Males showed higher anaerobic capacity than females. Weak correlations were observed between total motor scores and both aerobic and anaerobic outcome measures. Using total motor scores as input, the binary classification of aerobic and anaerobic capacity - based on thresholds for normal performance - showed poor discriminative ability.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Although children may attain motor scores within the normal range, the majority demonstrated aerobic and anaerobic fitness levels below normative standards. These findings highlight persistent physical fitness challenges in children born extremely preterm and support the need for direct assessment of aerobic and anaerobic capacity alongside standard follow-up evaluations.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11435,"journal":{"name":"Early human development","volume":"215 ","pages":"Article 106482"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145976040","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 small head circumference: Which biomarkers best predict microcephaly?","authors":"A. Fournier ,&nbsp;S. Dahan ,&nbsp;L. Hermitte ,&nbsp;B. Testud ,&nbsp;K. Chaumoitre ,&nbsp;M. Massena ,&nbsp;E. Lesieur ,&nbsp;F. Bretelle ,&nbsp;M. Capelle ,&nbsp;N. Girard ,&nbsp;B. Tosello ,&nbsp;M. Milh ,&nbsp;B. Desnous","doi":"10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2026.106497","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2026.106497","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objectives</h3><div>Prenatal ultrasound detection of a small head circumference (US-SHC) is a key indicator of microcephaly. This retrospective study (2015–2024) aimed to determine the incidence of SHC at birth (b-SHC) and microcephaly at 6 months, and to identify prenatal biomarkers.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We included 55 fetuses with us-SHC and median postnatal follow-up of 28 months (range: 7–112).</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Among the 47 fetuses with available outcomes, b-SHC was confirmed in 31 (66%), while persistent microcephaly at 6 months was observed in 16 of 34 (47%) liveborns. Fetal brain MRI, particularly cerebral biparietal and occipitofrontal diameters below the third percentile, accurately predicted b-SHC, with a positive predictive value (PPV) of 83% and a negative predictive value (NPV) of 82% but were less effective for persistent microcephaly (PPV 53%, NPV 75%). Prenatal deceleration in HC growth was a key predictor of both b-SHC (OR = 13.86, <em>p</em> = 0.028) and persistent microcephaly (OR = 13.00, <em>p</em> = 0.025). A genetic etiology was identified in 44% (7/16) of infants with confirmed microcephaly; chromosomal microarray had a 12% (5/43) diagnostic yield.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Prenatal us-SHC predicted postnatal microcephaly in nearly half of cases. Prenatal HC growth deceleration emerged as a biomarker of persistent microcephaly.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11435,"journal":{"name":"Early human development","volume":"215 ","pages":"Article 106497"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146074460","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}