Epigenetic clock at birth and psychiatric problems during early childhood

Volume: 83Background: A novel biomarker of aging at birth, namely epigenetic gestational age (GA) based on DNA methylation in fetal cord blood, has been recently developed to accurately estimate GA at birth. We examined whether this aging biomarker prospectively predicted psychiatric problems during early childhood. Methods: 407 mothers from the PREDO Study filled in the Child Behavior Checklist at child’s mean age of 3.7 (SD = 0.75) years. DNA was extracted from cord blood and methylation was analyzed with Illumina 450k array. DNA methylation (DNAm) GA of fetal cord blood DNA was calculated from 148 CpG sites shown to have high accuracy in predicting chronological GA. Epigenetic GA was calculated as arithmetic difference betweenDNAmGAand chronological GA. Results: In boys only child lower epigenetic GA (lower DNAm GA compared to chronological GA) was prospectively associated with higher total behavioral (p = 0.047), emotionally reactive (p = 0.035), and withdrawn (p = 0.004) problems in models adjusting for chronological GA, cord blood cell-type composition, genetic population stratification, and child age at the time of testing. Conclusions: Epigenetic GA immaturity seems to be developmentally disadvantageous for boys, who in early childhood show higher psychiatric problems in maternal reports.Non peer reviewe