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Shortened Infant Telomere Length Is Associated with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Symptoms in Children at Age Two Years: A Birth Cohort Study
journal contribution
posted on 2022-04-21, 00:00 authored by C Pham, R Vryer, M O’hely, T Mansell, D Burgner, F Collier, C Symeonides, M L K Tang, Peter VuillerminPeter Vuillermin, Lawrence GrayLawrence Gray, R Saffery, A L PonsonbyEnvironmental factors can accelerate telomere length (TL) attrition. Shortened TL is linked to attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms in school-aged children. The onset of ADHD occurs as early as preschool-age, but the TL-ADHD association in younger children is unknown. We investigated associations between infant TL and ADHD symptoms in children and assessed environmental factors as potential confounders and/or mediators of this association. Relative TL was measured by quantitative polymerase chain reaction in cord and 12-month blood in the birth cohort study, the Barwon Infant Study. Early life environmental factors collected antenatally to two years were used to measure confounding. ADHD symptoms at age two years were evaluated by the Child Behavior Checklist Attention Problems (AP) and the Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Problems (ADHP). Associations between early life environmental factors on TL or ADHD symptoms were assessed using multivariable regression models adjusted for relevant factors. Telomere length at 12 months (TL12), but not at birth, was inversely associated with AP (β = −0.56; 95% CI (−1.13, 0.006); p = 0.05) and ADHP (β = −0.66; 95% CI (−1.11, −0.21); p = 0.004). Infant secondhand smoke exposure at one month was independently associated with shorter TL12 and also higher ADHD symptoms. Further work is needed to elucidate the mechanisms that influence TL attrition and early neurodevelopment.
History
Journal
International Journal of Molecular SciencesVolume
23Issue
9Article number
4601Pagination
1 - 20Publisher
MDPI AGLocation
Basel, SwitzerlandPublisher DOI
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ISSN
1661-6596eISSN
1422-0067Language
engPublication classification
C1 Refereed article in a scholarly journalUsage metrics
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Keywords
attention deficit\/hyperactivity disorderinattention\/hyperactivity\/impulsivity symptomstelomere lengthenvironmental factorsyoung childrenepidemiologyinfant secondhand smoke exposureScience & TechnologyLife Sciences & BiomedicinePhysical SciencesBiochemistry & Molecular BiologyChemistry, MultidisciplinaryChemistryattention deficithyperactivity disorderinattentionhyperactivityimpulsivity symptomsDEFICIT HYPERACTIVITY DISORDERENVIRONMENTAL RISK-FACTORSSECONDHAND SMOKE EXPOSUREOXIDATIVE STRESSNEURODEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERSPERIPHERAL BIOMARKERSBEHAVIOR CHECKLISTEARLY-CHILDHOODPATERNAL AGECORD BLOODGenetics
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