ArticleBMC genomics2025
Caregiver-child interaction and early childhood development among preschool children in rural China: the possible role of blood epigenome-wide DNA methylation.
Article in BMC genomics, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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Abstract
backgroundWhile the association between caregiver-child interaction and early childhood development (ECD) has been observed, the underlying biological mechanism remains to be elucidated.
objectiveThis study aimed to examine the potential role of epigenome-wide DNA methylation in the association between caregiver-child interaction and ECD among preschool children living in rural China.
methodsThis study was conducted in a rural area in Central China. ECD was evaluated with the Gesell Development Diagnosis Scale (Chinese version), yielding a developmental quotient (DQ), i.e. global neurodevelopmental score (NDS). Caregiver-child interaction was assessed using the Brigance Parent-Child Interaction Scale. Of the 171 children aged 3-6 years who participated in ECD assessment and blood samples collection, a total of 64 were selected for epigenome-wide association study with Illumina Infinium MethylationEPIC v1.0 BeadChip array (850 K). The linear regression model in the R package "CpGassoc"was applied to identify CpG sites associated with global NDS and caregiver-child interaction. The causal inference test (CIT) was utilized to explore the potential mediation effect of DNA methylation.
resultsOur epigenome-wide DNA methylation analysis revealed 844 CpG sites significantly associated with children's global NDS (P
conclusionsBlood DNA methylation may mediate the association between caregiver-child interaction and ECD in preschool children. This provides population-level epigenetic evidence supporting parenting interventions for vulnerable preschool children who experience poor caregiver-child interaction, aiming to ensure optimal early development potential. However, future studies in diverse populations are needed to validate these findings.
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