Identification of Nutritionally Modifiable Hormonal and Epigenetic Drivers of Positive and Negative Growth Deviance in Rural African Fetuses and Infants

Robin Bernstein of the George Washington University in the U.S. and colleagues will undertake one of the most detailed longitudinal studies to date to examine the effects of epigenetic and hormonal factors on growth during the first 1000 days of life. Assessment of a variety of parameters, including infectious exposures and hormone levels, as well as epigenome and transcriptome analyses will be collected from the 13th week of gestation through infant and early childhood from a cohort of 200 Gambian children. These extensive data sets will reveal the mechanisms of growth faltering, and will aid in the development of targeted interventions to promote healthy infant growth and development.