Evidence mapPaperPMID 40840429Full record

ArticleHuman molecular genetics2025

Genetic nurture: estimating the direct genetic effects of pediatric anthropometric traits.

Samuel Ghatan, Jard de Vries, Jean-Baptiste Pingault, Vincent W Jaddoe, Charlotte Cecil, Janine F Felix, Fernando Rivadeneira, Carolina Medina-Gomez

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Human molecular genetics, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. [Association analysis between genetic nurturing effects ofBeijing da xue xue bao. Yi xue ban = Journal of Peking University. Health sciences · 2026
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Samuel GhatanDepartment of Internal Medicine, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Dr. Molewaterplein 40, 3015 GD, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0002-8310-3448
Jard de VriesDepartment of Internal Medicine, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Dr. Molewaterplein 40, 3015 GD, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Jean-Baptiste PingaultDepartment of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom.
Vincent W JaddoeThe Generation R Study Group, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Dr. Molewaterplein 40, 3015 GD, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Charlotte CecilThe Generation R Study Group, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Dr. Molewaterplein 40, 3015 GD, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Janine F FelixThe Generation R Study Group, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Dr. Molewaterplein 40, 3015 GD, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Fernando RivadeneiraDepartment of Internal Medicine, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Dr. Molewaterplein 40, 3015 GD, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Carolina Medina-GomezDepartment of Internal Medicine, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Dr. Molewaterplein 40, 3015 GD, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.

Funding

Erasmus University RotterdamEuropean Research Council 101021500European Research Council 863981European Research Council 874739Netherlands Organization for Health Research and Development and the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Parental genetic variants can indirectly influence the traits of their child through the environment, a concept termed 'genetic nurture', or indirect genetic effects (IGE). This study estimated the direct genetic effects (DGE), via direct allelic transmission, and IGE shaping height, body mass index (BMI), and bone mineral density (BMD) in a multi-ethnic Dutch pediatric cohort, examining children with repeated measurements at ages six, nine, and thirteen. We imputed missing parental alleles from the phased haplotypes of 1 931 478 variants (MAF > 1%), utilizing snipar (single nucleotide imputation of parents). We constructed polygenic risk scores (PRSs) and jointly regressed the proband's trait on their own PRS, while controlling for the proband's maternal and paternal PRSs. A total of 4488 probands, with genetic data, underwent at least one of the three specified measurements. We found statistically significant DGE estimates for the three traits across ages six, nine and thirteen. For instance, 71%-77% of the BMI variance explained by the BMI-PRS can be attributed solely to the DGE. IGE estimates reached significance only for BMI measured at ages nine (Beta: 0.05, 95%CI: 0.01-0.09) and thirteen (Beta: 0.05, 95%CI: 0.01-0.09). Maternal and paternal IGE were of a similar magnitude in all our analyses. Our findings indicate that genetic nurture has limited influence on anthropometric traits during formative years. In addition, we do not observe differences between the maternal and paternal indirect contributions to these traits, opposite to the stronger maternal nurturing effect reported for other traits.

Indexed as

Body HeightAdolescentAllelesAnthropometryBody Mass IndexBone DensityChildFemaleHaplotypesHumansMaleMultifactorial InheritanceNetherlandsPhenotypePolymorphism, Single Nucleotidebody mass indexGenetic nurtureindirect genetic effectsPediatricpolygenic risk score

Identifiers

PMID40840429
PMCPMC12498280

What Socratic holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.