Translational Epidemiologic Approaches to Understanding the Consequences of Early-Life Exposures

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• 作者：Brian M. D’Onofrio ; Quetzal A. Class ; Martin E. Rickert…
• 刊名：Behavior Genetics
• 出版年：2016
• 出版时间：May 2016
• 年：2016
• 卷：46
• 期：3
• 页码：315-328
• 全文大小：652 KB
• 刊物类别：Biomedical and Life Sciences
• 刊物主题：Biomedicine
  Human Genetics
  Neurosciences
  Evolutionary Biology
  
• 出版者：Springer Netherlands
• ISSN：1573-3297
• 卷排序：46

文摘

Prominent developmental theories posit a causal link between early-life exposures and later functioning. Yet, observed associations with early exposures may not reflect causal effects because of genetic and environmental confounding. The current manuscript describes how a systematic series of epidemiologic analyses that combine several genetically-informative designs and statistical approaches can help distinguish between competing theories. In particular, the manuscript details how combining the use of measured covariates with sibling-comparisons, cousin-comparisons, and additional designs can help elucidate the sources of covariation between early-life exposures and later outcomes, including the roles of (a) factors that are not shared in families, including a potential causal effect of the exposure; (b) carryover effects from the exposure of one child to the next; and (c) familial confounding. We also describe key assumptions and how they can be critically evaluated. Furthermore, we outline how subsequent analyses, including effect decomposition with respect to measured, plausible mediators, and quantitative genetic models can help further specify the underlying processes that account for the associations between early-life exposures and offspring outcomes.KeywordsCausal inferenceGenetically-informed designsSibling comparisonsCousin comparisonsDevelopmental origins of health and diseasePregnancyFetal growth