Jean Golding - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Jean Golding

Research paper thumbnail of Methodology and summary of results

Early Human Development, 1997

Research paper thumbnail of Birthweight and Childhood Cancer: Preliminary Findings from the International Childhood Cancer Cohort Consortium (I4C)

Paediatric and perinatal epidemiology, Jan 19, 2015

Evidence relating childhood cancer to high birthweight is derived primarily from registry and cas... more Evidence relating childhood cancer to high birthweight is derived primarily from registry and case-control studies. We aimed to investigate this association, exploring the potential modifying roles of age at diagnosis and maternal anthropometrics, using prospectively collected data from the International Childhood Cancer Cohort Consortium. We pooled data on infant and parental characteristics and cancer incidence from six geographically and temporally diverse member cohorts [the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (UK), the Collaborative Perinatal Project (USA), the Danish National Birth Cohort (Denmark), the Jerusalem Perinatal Study (Israel), the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study (Norway), and the Tasmanian Infant Health Survey (Australia)]. Birthweight metrics included a continuous measure, deciles, and categories (≥4.0 vs. <4.0 kilogram). Childhood cancer (377 cases diagnosed prior to age 15 years) risk was analysed by type (all sites, leukaemia, acute lymph...

Research paper thumbnail of Genome-wide association study of blood lead shows multiple associations near ALAD

Human molecular genetics, Jan 27, 2015

Exposure to high levels of environmental lead, or biomarker evidence of high body lead content, a... more Exposure to high levels of environmental lead, or biomarker evidence of high body lead content, are associated with anaemia, developmental and neurological deficits in children, and increased mortality in adults. Adverse effects of lead still occur despite substantial reduction in environmental exposure. There is genetic variation between individuals in blood lead concentration but the polymorphisms contributing to this have not been defined. We measured blood or erythrocyte lead content, and carried out genome-wide association analysis, on population-based cohorts of adult volunteers from Australia and the UK (N=5433). Samples from Australia were collected in two studies, in 1993-96 and 2002-05, and from the UK in 1991-92. One locus, at ALAD on chromosome 9, showed consistent association with blood lead across countries and evidence for multiple independent allelic effects. The most significant SNP, rs1805313 (p=3.91 x 10(-14) for lead concentration in a meta-analysis of all data),...

Research paper thumbnail of Preconception and Prenatal Environmental Factors Associated with Communication Impairments in 9 Year Old Children Using an Exposome-Wide Approach

PLOS ONE, 2015

Although speech and language deficits are common in children and strongly associated with poor ed... more Although speech and language deficits are common in children and strongly associated with poor educational and social outcomes, little attention has been paid to the antecedents. In this study we used the information from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children to examine preconception and prenatal environmental risk factors that were related to communication difficulties in children using the Children's Communication Checklist (CCC). We used an exposome-wide approach to identify environmental factors univariably associated with the CCC. Taking account of the False Discovery rate, we used a P value of 0.000157 to identify 621 of 3855 items tested. These were then subjected to a series of stepwise linear regression analyses, firstly within 10 domains: personal characteristics, health, development, education, socio-economic variables, lifestyle, home and social environments, life events and chemical and other exposures; and then with the predictive variables from each domain. The final model consisted of 19 variables independently associated with the communication scale. These variables suggested 6 possible mechanisms: stressors primarily associated with socio-economic disadvantage although other lifestyle choices such as a social network of family or friends can ameliorate these effects; indicators of future parenting skills primarily associated with aspects of parental personality; aspects of the home environment; poor maternal health with a novel finding concerning maternal hearing loss; and maternal education which was partially mediated by the child's IQ. Finally, there may be a mechanism via the maternal diet in pregnancy in particular the consumption of fatty or processed foods. This is the subject of ongoing investigation.

Research paper thumbnail of Is the growth of the child of a smoking mother influenced by the father's prenatal exposure to tobacco? A hypothesis generating longitudinal study

BMJ open, 2014

Transgenerational effects of different environmental exposures are of major interest, with rodent... more Transgenerational effects of different environmental exposures are of major interest, with rodent experiments focusing on epigenetic mechanisms. Previously, we have shown that if the study mother is a non-smoker, there is increased mean birth weight, length and body mass index (BMI) in her sons if she herself had been exposed prenatally to her mother's smoking. The aim of this study was to determine whether the prenatal smoke exposure of either parent influenced the growth of the fetus of a smoking woman, and whether any effects were dependent on the fetal sex. Population-based prebirth cohort study. Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. Participants were residents of a geographic area with expected date of delivery between April 1991 and December 1992. Among pregnancies of mothers who smoked during pregnancy, data were available concerning maternal and paternal prenatal exposures to their own mother smoking for 3502 and 2354, respectively. Birth weight, length, BMI a...

Research paper thumbnail of The anthropometry of children and adolescents may be influenced by the prenatal smoking habits of their grandmothers: a longitudinal cohort study

American journal of human biology : the official journal of the Human Biology Council

Previously, in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), we have shown differ... more Previously, in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), we have shown different sex-specific birth anthropometric measurements contingent upon whether or not prenatal smoking was undertaken by paternal grandmother (PGM±), maternal grandmother (MGM±), and the study mother (M±). The findings raised the question as to whether there were long-term associations on the growth of the study children over time. Measures of weight, height, body mass index, waist circumference, lean mass, and fat mass of children in the ALSPAC study from 7 to 17 years of age were used. We compared growth in four categories at each age: PGM+M- with PGM-M-; MGM+M- with MGM-M-; PGM+M+ with PGM-M+; MGM+M+ with MGM-M+; and adjusted for housing tenure, maternal education, parity, and paternal smoking at the start of the study pregnancy. We found that if the PGM had, but the study mother had not, smoked in pregnancy, the girls were taller and both genders had greater bone and lean mass. However, ...

Research paper thumbnail of ZNF277 microdeletions, specific language impairment and the meiotic mismatch methylation (3M) hypothesis

European Journal of Human Genetics, 2014

Research paper thumbnail of Glue Ear, Hearing Loss and IQ: An Association Moderated by the Child’s Home Environment

PLoS ONE, 2014

Background: Glue ear or otitis media with effusion (OME) is common in children and may be associa... more Background: Glue ear or otitis media with effusion (OME) is common in children and may be associated with hearing loss (HL). For most children it has no long lasting effects on cognitive development but it is unclear whether there are subgroups at higher risk of sequelae.

Research paper thumbnail of Is the Growth of the Fetus of a Non-Smoking Mother Influenced by the Smoking of Either Grandmother while Pregnant?

Plos One, 2014

Background: There are animal data that indicate that prenatal environmental exposures have sex-sp... more Background: There are animal data that indicate that prenatal environmental exposures have sex-specific effects on subsequent generations. In humans, an increase in birthweight has been reported if the maternal grandmother had smoked in the pregnancy giving rise to the mother. Here we assess whether prenatal exposure of either parent to cigarette smoke has a sex-specific effect on the grandchild's birth measurements.

Research paper thumbnail of Predictors of diagnosis of child psychiatric disorder in adult-infant social-communicative interaction at 12 months

Research in Developmental Disabilities, 2013

To establish which social interactive behaviours predict later psychiatric diagnosis, we examined... more To establish which social interactive behaviours predict later psychiatric diagnosis, we examined 180 videos of a parent-infant interaction when children were aged one year, from within the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) cohort. Sixty of the videos involved infants who were later diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder at seven years, and 120 were a randomly selected sex-matched control group. Interactive behaviours for both the caregiver and the one year old infant were coded from the videos according to eight holistic categories of interpersonal engagement: Well-being, Contingent Responsiveness, Cooperativeness, Involvement, Activity, Playfulness, Fussiness, and Speech. Lower levels of adult activity and speech in interaction at one year significantly predicted overall diagnosis of child psychiatric disorder.

Research paper thumbnail of Association between parent-infant interactions in infancy and disruptive behaviour disorders at age seven: a nested, case-control ALSPAC study

Bmc Pediatrics, 2014

Background: Effective early intervention to prevent oppositional/conduct disorders requires early... more Background: Effective early intervention to prevent oppositional/conduct disorders requires early identification of children at risk. Patterns of parent-child interaction may predict oppositional/conduct disorders but large community-based prospective studies are needed to evaluate this possibility. Methods: We sought to examine whether the Mellow Parenting Observational System (MPOS) used to assess parent-infant interactions at one year was associated with psychopathology at age 7. The MPOS assesses positive and negative interactions between parent and child. It examines six dimensions: anticipation of child's needs, responsiveness, autonomy, cooperation, containment of child distress, and control/conflict; these are summed to produce measures of total positive and negative interactions. We examined videos from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) sub-cohort who attended the 'Children in Focus' clinic at one year of age. Our sample comprised 180 videos of parent-infant interaction: 60 from infants who received a psychiatric diagnostic categorisation at seven years and 120 randomly selected controls who were group-matched on sex. Results: A negative association between positive interactions and oppositional/conduct disorders was found. With the exception of pervasive developmental disorders (autism), an increase of one positive interaction per minute predicted a 15% (95% CI: 4% to 26%) reduction in the odds of the infant being case diagnosed. There was no statistically significant relationship between negative parenting interactions and oppositional/conduct disorders, although negative interactions were rarely observed in this setting.

Research paper thumbnail of Do  -3 or other fatty acids influence the development of 'growing pains'? A prebirth cohort study

Research paper thumbnail of Fish Consumption and Blood Mercury Levels: Golding et al. Respond

Environmental Health Perspectives, 2014

Research paper thumbnail of Maternal selenium status in pregnancy, offspring glutathione peroxidase 4 genotype, and childhood asthma

The Journal of allergy and clinical immunology, Jan 6, 2014

Research paper thumbnail of Common variation near ROBO2 is associated with expressive vocabulary in infancy

Nature Communications, 2014

Twin studies suggest that expressive vocabulary at ~24 months is modestly heritable. However, the... more Twin studies suggest that expressive vocabulary at ~24 months is modestly heritable. However, the genes influencing this early linguistic phenotype are unknown. Here we conduct a genome-wide screen and follow-up study of expressive vocabulary in toddlers of European descent from up to four studies of the EArly Genetics and Lifecourse Epidemiology consortium, analysing an early (15-18 months, &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;one-word…

Research paper thumbnail of Intake of game birds in the UK: assessment of the contribution to the dietary intake of lead by women of childbearing age and children

Public Health Nutrition, 2014

Objective: Concern has recently been expressed about Pb levels in Pb-shot game meat. Our aim was ... more Objective: Concern has recently been expressed about Pb levels in Pb-shot game meat. Our aim was to determine the consumption of game birds in a representative sample population in the UK, and in children and women of childbearing age in particular. Design: Population-based cross-sectional cohort study. Data from 4 d diet diaries from the UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS; were extracted to analyse data on game bird consumption in the sample population, in women of childbearing age (15-45 years old) and in children #6 years old. Setting: Home-based study in representative areas of the UK. Subjects: Participants in the NDNS (2008-2010; n 2126, age 1?5 to .65 years). Results: Fifty-eight participants (2?7 %) reported eating game birds. The mean intake was 19?5 (SD 18?1) g/d (median 15?6, range 1?3-92?9 g/d). In women of childbearing age (15-45 years), 11/383 (2?9 %) reported eating game birds, with a mean intake of 22?4 (SD 25?8) g/d (median 15?6, range 2?0-92?9 g/d). In children aged #6 years old, 3/342 (0?9 %) were reported as eating game birds, with a mean intake of 6?8 (SD 9?7) g/d (median 2?4, range 1?3-23?2 g/d).

Research paper thumbnail of Stability in Cognition Across Early Childhood: A Developmental Cascade

Psychological Science, 2006

Children confront the formidable task of assimilating information in the environment and accommod... more Children confront the formidable task of assimilating information in the environment and accommodating their cognitive structures to that information. Developmental science is concerned equally with two distinctive features of these processes: children&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;s group mean level of performance through time and the standing of individual children through time. Prevailing opinion since the inception of the mental-measurement movement has been that individual development is unstable-that individual children change unpredictably in their abilities. We report results of a large-scale controlled, multivariate, prospective, microgenetic, 4-year longitudinal study that reveals a statistically significant cascade of species-typical cognitive abilities from infancy to childhood. Infancy is a recognizable starting point of life; we find that to a small but significant degree, infancy also represents a setting point in the life of the individual.

Research paper thumbnail of Personality, Behavior and Environmental Features Associated with OXTR Genetic Variants in British Mothers

PLoS ONE, 2014

Background: It is assumed that the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) is associated with factors that ... more Background: It is assumed that the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) is associated with factors that are related to features of reproduction as well as the currently emerging fields of mood and emotional response.

Research paper thumbnail of Dietary Patterns, n-3 Fatty Acids Intake from Seafood and High Levels of Anxiety Symptoms during Pregnancy: Findings from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children

PLoS ONE, 2013

Little is known about relationships between dietary patterns, n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PU... more Little is known about relationships between dietary patterns, n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) intake and excessive anxiety during pregnancy.

Research paper thumbnail of A United Kingdom Population-Based Study of Intellectual Capacities in Children With and Without Soiling, Daytime Wetting, and Bed-wetting

PEDIATRICS, 2007

The objective of this study was to examine differences in intellectual capacities between childre... more The objective of this study was to examine differences in intellectual capacities between children with and without soiling, daytime wetting, and bed-wetting. This study was based on a population of &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;6000 children (age range: 7 years 6 months to 9 years 3 months; median: 7 years 6 months) from the United Kingdom-based Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. Data on wetting and soiling were obtained from a questionnaire completed by parents. The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Third Edition was administered at a research clinic. Bed-wetting was associated with lower Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Third Edition IQ scores compared with control subjects, particularly performance IQ. This difference remained after exclusion of children with an IQ of &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;70 and adjustment for gender, stressful life events, and sociodemographic background. There were fewer differences in IQ scores between children with and without soiling or daytime wetting. Co-occurring wetting and soiling were associated with lower IQ scores than isolated soiling, daytime wetting, or bed-wetting, but this was mostly attributable to an overrepresentation of children with an IQ of &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;70 in the co-occurrence group. It is hypothesized that the differences in intellectual capacities between children with and without bed-wetting are associated with maturational deficits of the central nervous system. There was less evidence for differences in intellectual capacities between children with and without soiling and daytime wetting. The central nervous system is involved to a lesser extent in soiling and daytime wetting, because peripheral influences from the bladder and gut play a greater role.

Research paper thumbnail of Methodology and summary of results

Early Human Development, 1997

Research paper thumbnail of Birthweight and Childhood Cancer: Preliminary Findings from the International Childhood Cancer Cohort Consortium (I4C)

Paediatric and perinatal epidemiology, Jan 19, 2015

Evidence relating childhood cancer to high birthweight is derived primarily from registry and cas... more Evidence relating childhood cancer to high birthweight is derived primarily from registry and case-control studies. We aimed to investigate this association, exploring the potential modifying roles of age at diagnosis and maternal anthropometrics, using prospectively collected data from the International Childhood Cancer Cohort Consortium. We pooled data on infant and parental characteristics and cancer incidence from six geographically and temporally diverse member cohorts [the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (UK), the Collaborative Perinatal Project (USA), the Danish National Birth Cohort (Denmark), the Jerusalem Perinatal Study (Israel), the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study (Norway), and the Tasmanian Infant Health Survey (Australia)]. Birthweight metrics included a continuous measure, deciles, and categories (≥4.0 vs. <4.0 kilogram). Childhood cancer (377 cases diagnosed prior to age 15 years) risk was analysed by type (all sites, leukaemia, acute lymph...

Research paper thumbnail of Genome-wide association study of blood lead shows multiple associations near ALAD

Human molecular genetics, Jan 27, 2015

Exposure to high levels of environmental lead, or biomarker evidence of high body lead content, a... more Exposure to high levels of environmental lead, or biomarker evidence of high body lead content, are associated with anaemia, developmental and neurological deficits in children, and increased mortality in adults. Adverse effects of lead still occur despite substantial reduction in environmental exposure. There is genetic variation between individuals in blood lead concentration but the polymorphisms contributing to this have not been defined. We measured blood or erythrocyte lead content, and carried out genome-wide association analysis, on population-based cohorts of adult volunteers from Australia and the UK (N=5433). Samples from Australia were collected in two studies, in 1993-96 and 2002-05, and from the UK in 1991-92. One locus, at ALAD on chromosome 9, showed consistent association with blood lead across countries and evidence for multiple independent allelic effects. The most significant SNP, rs1805313 (p=3.91 x 10(-14) for lead concentration in a meta-analysis of all data),...

Research paper thumbnail of Preconception and Prenatal Environmental Factors Associated with Communication Impairments in 9 Year Old Children Using an Exposome-Wide Approach

PLOS ONE, 2015

Although speech and language deficits are common in children and strongly associated with poor ed... more Although speech and language deficits are common in children and strongly associated with poor educational and social outcomes, little attention has been paid to the antecedents. In this study we used the information from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children to examine preconception and prenatal environmental risk factors that were related to communication difficulties in children using the Children's Communication Checklist (CCC). We used an exposome-wide approach to identify environmental factors univariably associated with the CCC. Taking account of the False Discovery rate, we used a P value of 0.000157 to identify 621 of 3855 items tested. These were then subjected to a series of stepwise linear regression analyses, firstly within 10 domains: personal characteristics, health, development, education, socio-economic variables, lifestyle, home and social environments, life events and chemical and other exposures; and then with the predictive variables from each domain. The final model consisted of 19 variables independently associated with the communication scale. These variables suggested 6 possible mechanisms: stressors primarily associated with socio-economic disadvantage although other lifestyle choices such as a social network of family or friends can ameliorate these effects; indicators of future parenting skills primarily associated with aspects of parental personality; aspects of the home environment; poor maternal health with a novel finding concerning maternal hearing loss; and maternal education which was partially mediated by the child's IQ. Finally, there may be a mechanism via the maternal diet in pregnancy in particular the consumption of fatty or processed foods. This is the subject of ongoing investigation.

Research paper thumbnail of Is the growth of the child of a smoking mother influenced by the father's prenatal exposure to tobacco? A hypothesis generating longitudinal study

BMJ open, 2014

Transgenerational effects of different environmental exposures are of major interest, with rodent... more Transgenerational effects of different environmental exposures are of major interest, with rodent experiments focusing on epigenetic mechanisms. Previously, we have shown that if the study mother is a non-smoker, there is increased mean birth weight, length and body mass index (BMI) in her sons if she herself had been exposed prenatally to her mother's smoking. The aim of this study was to determine whether the prenatal smoke exposure of either parent influenced the growth of the fetus of a smoking woman, and whether any effects were dependent on the fetal sex. Population-based prebirth cohort study. Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. Participants were residents of a geographic area with expected date of delivery between April 1991 and December 1992. Among pregnancies of mothers who smoked during pregnancy, data were available concerning maternal and paternal prenatal exposures to their own mother smoking for 3502 and 2354, respectively. Birth weight, length, BMI a...

Research paper thumbnail of The anthropometry of children and adolescents may be influenced by the prenatal smoking habits of their grandmothers: a longitudinal cohort study

American journal of human biology : the official journal of the Human Biology Council

Previously, in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), we have shown differ... more Previously, in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), we have shown different sex-specific birth anthropometric measurements contingent upon whether or not prenatal smoking was undertaken by paternal grandmother (PGM±), maternal grandmother (MGM±), and the study mother (M±). The findings raised the question as to whether there were long-term associations on the growth of the study children over time. Measures of weight, height, body mass index, waist circumference, lean mass, and fat mass of children in the ALSPAC study from 7 to 17 years of age were used. We compared growth in four categories at each age: PGM+M- with PGM-M-; MGM+M- with MGM-M-; PGM+M+ with PGM-M+; MGM+M+ with MGM-M+; and adjusted for housing tenure, maternal education, parity, and paternal smoking at the start of the study pregnancy. We found that if the PGM had, but the study mother had not, smoked in pregnancy, the girls were taller and both genders had greater bone and lean mass. However, ...

Research paper thumbnail of ZNF277 microdeletions, specific language impairment and the meiotic mismatch methylation (3M) hypothesis

European Journal of Human Genetics, 2014

Research paper thumbnail of Glue Ear, Hearing Loss and IQ: An Association Moderated by the Child’s Home Environment

PLoS ONE, 2014

Background: Glue ear or otitis media with effusion (OME) is common in children and may be associa... more Background: Glue ear or otitis media with effusion (OME) is common in children and may be associated with hearing loss (HL). For most children it has no long lasting effects on cognitive development but it is unclear whether there are subgroups at higher risk of sequelae.

Research paper thumbnail of Is the Growth of the Fetus of a Non-Smoking Mother Influenced by the Smoking of Either Grandmother while Pregnant?

Plos One, 2014

Background: There are animal data that indicate that prenatal environmental exposures have sex-sp... more Background: There are animal data that indicate that prenatal environmental exposures have sex-specific effects on subsequent generations. In humans, an increase in birthweight has been reported if the maternal grandmother had smoked in the pregnancy giving rise to the mother. Here we assess whether prenatal exposure of either parent to cigarette smoke has a sex-specific effect on the grandchild's birth measurements.

Research paper thumbnail of Predictors of diagnosis of child psychiatric disorder in adult-infant social-communicative interaction at 12 months

Research in Developmental Disabilities, 2013

To establish which social interactive behaviours predict later psychiatric diagnosis, we examined... more To establish which social interactive behaviours predict later psychiatric diagnosis, we examined 180 videos of a parent-infant interaction when children were aged one year, from within the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) cohort. Sixty of the videos involved infants who were later diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder at seven years, and 120 were a randomly selected sex-matched control group. Interactive behaviours for both the caregiver and the one year old infant were coded from the videos according to eight holistic categories of interpersonal engagement: Well-being, Contingent Responsiveness, Cooperativeness, Involvement, Activity, Playfulness, Fussiness, and Speech. Lower levels of adult activity and speech in interaction at one year significantly predicted overall diagnosis of child psychiatric disorder.

Research paper thumbnail of Association between parent-infant interactions in infancy and disruptive behaviour disorders at age seven: a nested, case-control ALSPAC study

Bmc Pediatrics, 2014

Background: Effective early intervention to prevent oppositional/conduct disorders requires early... more Background: Effective early intervention to prevent oppositional/conduct disorders requires early identification of children at risk. Patterns of parent-child interaction may predict oppositional/conduct disorders but large community-based prospective studies are needed to evaluate this possibility. Methods: We sought to examine whether the Mellow Parenting Observational System (MPOS) used to assess parent-infant interactions at one year was associated with psychopathology at age 7. The MPOS assesses positive and negative interactions between parent and child. It examines six dimensions: anticipation of child's needs, responsiveness, autonomy, cooperation, containment of child distress, and control/conflict; these are summed to produce measures of total positive and negative interactions. We examined videos from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) sub-cohort who attended the 'Children in Focus' clinic at one year of age. Our sample comprised 180 videos of parent-infant interaction: 60 from infants who received a psychiatric diagnostic categorisation at seven years and 120 randomly selected controls who were group-matched on sex. Results: A negative association between positive interactions and oppositional/conduct disorders was found. With the exception of pervasive developmental disorders (autism), an increase of one positive interaction per minute predicted a 15% (95% CI: 4% to 26%) reduction in the odds of the infant being case diagnosed. There was no statistically significant relationship between negative parenting interactions and oppositional/conduct disorders, although negative interactions were rarely observed in this setting.

Research paper thumbnail of Do  -3 or other fatty acids influence the development of 'growing pains'? A prebirth cohort study

Research paper thumbnail of Fish Consumption and Blood Mercury Levels: Golding et al. Respond

Environmental Health Perspectives, 2014

Research paper thumbnail of Maternal selenium status in pregnancy, offspring glutathione peroxidase 4 genotype, and childhood asthma

The Journal of allergy and clinical immunology, Jan 6, 2014

Research paper thumbnail of Common variation near ROBO2 is associated with expressive vocabulary in infancy

Nature Communications, 2014

Twin studies suggest that expressive vocabulary at ~24 months is modestly heritable. However, the... more Twin studies suggest that expressive vocabulary at ~24 months is modestly heritable. However, the genes influencing this early linguistic phenotype are unknown. Here we conduct a genome-wide screen and follow-up study of expressive vocabulary in toddlers of European descent from up to four studies of the EArly Genetics and Lifecourse Epidemiology consortium, analysing an early (15-18 months, &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;one-word…

Research paper thumbnail of Intake of game birds in the UK: assessment of the contribution to the dietary intake of lead by women of childbearing age and children

Public Health Nutrition, 2014

Objective: Concern has recently been expressed about Pb levels in Pb-shot game meat. Our aim was ... more Objective: Concern has recently been expressed about Pb levels in Pb-shot game meat. Our aim was to determine the consumption of game birds in a representative sample population in the UK, and in children and women of childbearing age in particular. Design: Population-based cross-sectional cohort study. Data from 4 d diet diaries from the UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS; were extracted to analyse data on game bird consumption in the sample population, in women of childbearing age (15-45 years old) and in children #6 years old. Setting: Home-based study in representative areas of the UK. Subjects: Participants in the NDNS (2008-2010; n 2126, age 1?5 to .65 years). Results: Fifty-eight participants (2?7 %) reported eating game birds. The mean intake was 19?5 (SD 18?1) g/d (median 15?6, range 1?3-92?9 g/d). In women of childbearing age (15-45 years), 11/383 (2?9 %) reported eating game birds, with a mean intake of 22?4 (SD 25?8) g/d (median 15?6, range 2?0-92?9 g/d). In children aged #6 years old, 3/342 (0?9 %) were reported as eating game birds, with a mean intake of 6?8 (SD 9?7) g/d (median 2?4, range 1?3-23?2 g/d).

Research paper thumbnail of Stability in Cognition Across Early Childhood: A Developmental Cascade

Psychological Science, 2006

Children confront the formidable task of assimilating information in the environment and accommod... more Children confront the formidable task of assimilating information in the environment and accommodating their cognitive structures to that information. Developmental science is concerned equally with two distinctive features of these processes: children&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;s group mean level of performance through time and the standing of individual children through time. Prevailing opinion since the inception of the mental-measurement movement has been that individual development is unstable-that individual children change unpredictably in their abilities. We report results of a large-scale controlled, multivariate, prospective, microgenetic, 4-year longitudinal study that reveals a statistically significant cascade of species-typical cognitive abilities from infancy to childhood. Infancy is a recognizable starting point of life; we find that to a small but significant degree, infancy also represents a setting point in the life of the individual.

Research paper thumbnail of Personality, Behavior and Environmental Features Associated with OXTR Genetic Variants in British Mothers

PLoS ONE, 2014

Background: It is assumed that the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) is associated with factors that ... more Background: It is assumed that the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) is associated with factors that are related to features of reproduction as well as the currently emerging fields of mood and emotional response.

Research paper thumbnail of Dietary Patterns, n-3 Fatty Acids Intake from Seafood and High Levels of Anxiety Symptoms during Pregnancy: Findings from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children

PLoS ONE, 2013

Little is known about relationships between dietary patterns, n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PU... more Little is known about relationships between dietary patterns, n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) intake and excessive anxiety during pregnancy.

Research paper thumbnail of A United Kingdom Population-Based Study of Intellectual Capacities in Children With and Without Soiling, Daytime Wetting, and Bed-wetting

PEDIATRICS, 2007

The objective of this study was to examine differences in intellectual capacities between childre... more The objective of this study was to examine differences in intellectual capacities between children with and without soiling, daytime wetting, and bed-wetting. This study was based on a population of &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;6000 children (age range: 7 years 6 months to 9 years 3 months; median: 7 years 6 months) from the United Kingdom-based Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. Data on wetting and soiling were obtained from a questionnaire completed by parents. The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Third Edition was administered at a research clinic. Bed-wetting was associated with lower Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Third Edition IQ scores compared with control subjects, particularly performance IQ. This difference remained after exclusion of children with an IQ of &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;70 and adjustment for gender, stressful life events, and sociodemographic background. There were fewer differences in IQ scores between children with and without soiling or daytime wetting. Co-occurring wetting and soiling were associated with lower IQ scores than isolated soiling, daytime wetting, or bed-wetting, but this was mostly attributable to an overrepresentation of children with an IQ of &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;70 in the co-occurrence group. It is hypothesized that the differences in intellectual capacities between children with and without bed-wetting are associated with maturational deficits of the central nervous system. There was less evidence for differences in intellectual capacities between children with and without soiling and daytime wetting. The central nervous system is involved to a lesser extent in soiling and daytime wetting, because peripheral influences from the bladder and gut play a greater role.