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Fetal androgen exposure may be associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We studied 1777 mother-child pairs in the prospective Odense Child Cohort. Prenatal androgen exposure was assessed by maternal 3rd trimester testosterone concentrations, maternal polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), and 3 months offspring anogenital distance. ASD traits were assessed at age 3 years with the ASD-symptom scale of the Child Behavior Checklist for ages 1 1/2-5 years. Maternal testosterone was positively associated with traits of ASD in boys (p < 0.05). Maternal PCOS was associated with increased offspring ASD traits (p = 0.046), but became non-significant after excluding parental psychiatric diagnosis. Offspring anogenital distance was not linked to ASD traits. Higher prevalence of ASD in boys could be linked to higher susceptibility to fetal androgen exposure.

Objective: To investigate associations between maternal testosterone status and offspring birth anthropometrics. Design: Population‐based prospective cohort study. Setting: University Hospital. Population: 1486 mother–child dyads from Odense Child Cohort. Methods: Maternal blood samples were collected at gestational weeks 27–30 and free testosterone (FT) levels were calculated using the Vermeulen equation from total testosterone (TT) analysed by mass spectrometry and sex hormone binding globulin. Associations between FT or TT levels and birth anthropometrics were analysed with multiple linear regression models according to offspring sex with adjustment for maternal age, parity, smoking and educational level. Analyses were repeated with polycystic ovary syndrome as exposure for offspring birth anthropometrics. Main outcome measures: Offspring birth weight (BW), birth length, abdominal and head circumferences. Results: Maternal mean (SD) age was 30.2 (4.5) years and pre‐pregnancy body mass index was 23.5 (5.3) kg/m2. In boys (n = 787), higher FT was associated with lower birth weight (adjusted doubling constant = −65.53, P = 0.010), shorter birth length (adjusted doubling constant = −0.43, P < 0.001), and lower abdominal circumference (adjusted doubling constant = −0.39, P < 0.001); Higher TT was associated with lower abdominal circumference (adjusted doubling constant = −0.25, P = 0.028). In girls, no associations were found between maternal FT or TT and offspring anthropometrics. Conclusions: Higher maternal free testosterone exposure was linked to reduced birth weight, length and abdominal circumference in boys, whereas girls were not susceptible to maternal testosterone exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cognitive development measured as intelligence quotient can predict socioeconomic markers in adulthood. It is therefore of interest to determine predictors of childhood intelligence quotient. Aim: To assess intelligence quotient scores based on standardised Danish age-appropriate scores and to evaluate potential predictors of intelligence quotient. Materials: At 7 years of age children in the Odense Child Cohort completed an abbreviated version of the Wechsler intelligence scale for children 5th edition consisting of four subtests (vocabulary, similarities, block design and matrix reasoning) from which the full scale intelligence quotient and verbal comprehension index were estimated. Potential predictors from pregnancy through childhood were collected from questionnaires, birth records and clinical examinations. Methods: Intelligence quotient scores were investigated through descriptive statistics and linear regression models. Results: The mean full scale intelligence quotient among 1375 children was 99.1 (95% confidence interval 98.5; 99.8) points. Higher full scale intelligence quotient scores were observed in girls 100.8 (95% confidence interval 100.0; 101.8) compared to boys 97.6 (96.7; 98.4), and in children of mothers with high and intermediate education 101.7 (100.4; 103.1) and 99.6 (98.7; 100.5), respectively, compared to low education 96.1 (94.9; 97.3). In linear regression analyses, longer maternal education and child sex (girls) remained strong predictors of intelligence quotient at age 7 years. In addition, paternal education, child head circumference and longer duration of breastfeeding were associated with higher intelligence quotient, whereas maternal overweight and obesity before pregnancy was associated with lower intelligence quotient. Conclusions: Mean intelligence quotient scores were comparable to the standardised mean intelligence quotient of 100 point of Danish peers. It is important to follow up these children to determine which predictors persist into adulthood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has a severe impact on the general population. During the pandemic, children may develop emotional and psychological symptoms, including increased worries about health and illness, known as health anxiety symptoms (HASs). We aimed to explore HAS in 7–9-year-old children from the Danish Odense Child Cohort (OCC) during the first COVID-19 lockdown period in Denmark, and to examine associations with potential risk factors. OCC is a cohort of children born between 2010 and 2012, which originally recruited 2874 of 6707 pregnancies (43%). Among the current OCC population of 2430 singleton children, 994 participated in this study (response rate 40%). Children and their parents filled out questionnaires about child HAS, family exposure to COVID-19 infection and parental HAS. Adjusted odds ratios (aORs) were calculated between high score child HAS (≥90th percentile) and covariates by use of logistic regression. Most children (n = 686, 69%) reported few worries about their health. Children reporting high score HAS also had higher levels of internalizing symptoms at age 5; aOR 2.15 (1.20;3.85), p =.010, and higher levels of maternal and paternal HAS; aOR 2.40 (1.44;3.97), p =.001, and 2.00 (1.10;3.65), p =.023, whereas no association with child sex or familial exposure to COVID-19 was detected (n = 65, 6.5%). High score child HAS during the first lockdown period of the COVID-19 pandemic was not associated with family exposure to COVID-19 infection, but to being a more anxious child a priori and to HAS in parents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Human exposure to perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) has been associated with reduced duration of breastfeeding, although not consistently so, and mechanisms by which PFAS might affect breastfeeding are unknown. Objective: To examine the association between early pregnancy serum-PFAS concentrations and breastfeeding termination and to elucidate the potential role of serum-prolactin concentrations in pregnancy. Materials and Methods: Pregnant women from the Odense Child Cohort provided blood samples for analysis of 5 major PFAS (n = 1300) and prolactin concentrations (n = 924). They subsequently provided information about the duration of breastfeeding in questionnaires at 3 and 18 months postpartum, and a subgroup also provided breastfeeding information via weekly cell phone text messages. Associations between serum-PFAS concentrations and breastfeeding termination were analyzed using Cox regressions, while linear regression was used to assess associations between serum-PFAS and prolactin concentrations. Results: Increased serum concentrations of perfluorooctane sulfonic acid, perfluorooctanoic acid, perfluorononanoic acid, and ΣPFAS were associated with a 16% (95% CI: 4%-30%), 14% (95% CI: 2%-26%), 14% (95% CI: 3%-27%), and 20% (95% CI: 6%-36%), respectively, increased risk of terminating breastfeeding at any given time after childbirth. Serum-PFAS concentrations were not associated with serum-prolactin concentrations. Conclusions: These findings are of public health importance due to the global exposures to PFAS. Because breastfeeding is crucial to promote both child health and maternal health, adverse PFAS effects on the ability to breastfeed may have long-term health consequences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate associations between maternal testosterone status and offspring birth anthropometrics., Design: Population-based prospective cohort study., Setting: University Hospital., Population: 1486 mother-child dyads from Odense Child Cohort., Methods: Maternal blood samples were collected at gestational weeks 27-30 and free testosterone (FT) levels were calculated using the Vermeulen equation from total testosterone (TT) analysed by mass spectrometry and sex hormone binding globulin. Associations between FT or TT levels and birth anthropometrics were analysed with multiple linear regression models according to offspring sex with adjustment for maternal age, parity, smoking and educational level. Analyses were repeated with polycystic ovary syndrome as exposure for offspring birth anthropometrics., Main Outcome Measures: Offspring birth weight (BW), birth length, abdominal and head circumferences., Results: Maternal mean (SD) age was 30.2 (4.5) years and pre-pregnancy body mass index was 23.5 (5.3) kg/m 2 . In boys (n = 787), higher FT was associated with lower birth weight (adjusted doubling constant = -65.53, P = 0.010), shorter birth length (adjusted doubling constant = -0.43, P < 0.001), and lower abdominal circumference (adjusted doubling constant = -0.39, P < 0.001); Higher TT was associated with lower abdominal circumference (adjusted doubling constant = -0.25, P = 0.028). In girls, no associations were found between maternal FT or TT and offspring anthropometrics., Conclusions: Higher maternal free testosterone exposure was linked to reduced birth weight, length and abdominal circumference in boys, whereas girls were not susceptible to maternal testosterone exposure., (© 2023 The Authors. BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Context: Human exposure to perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) has been associated with reduced duration of breastfeeding, although not consistently so, and mechanisms by which PFAS might affect breastfeeding are unknown., Objective: To examine the association between early pregnancy serum-PFAS concentrations and breastfeeding termination and to elucidate the potential role of serum-prolactin concentrations in pregnancy., Materials and Methods: Pregnant women from the Odense Child Cohort provided blood samples for analysis of 5 major PFAS (n = 1300) and prolactin concentrations (n = 924). They subsequently provided information about the duration of breastfeeding in questionnaires at 3 and 18 months postpartum, and a subgroup also provided breastfeeding information via weekly cell phone text messages. Associations between serum-PFAS concentrations and breastfeeding termination were analyzed using Cox regressions, while linear regression was used to assess associations between serum-PFAS and prolactin concentrations., Results: Increased serum concentrations of perfluorooctane sulfonic acid, perfluorooctanoic acid, perfluorononanoic acid, and ∑PFAS were associated with a 16% (95% CI: 4%-30%), 14% (95% CI: 2%-26%), 14% (95% CI: 3%-27%), and 20% (95% CI: 6%-36%), respectively, increased risk of terminating breastfeeding at any given time after childbirth. Serum-PFAS concentrations were not associated with serum-prolactin concentrations., Conclusions: These findings are of public health importance due to the global exposures to PFAS. Because breastfeeding is crucial to promote both child health and maternal health, adverse PFAS effects on the ability to breastfeed may have long-term health consequences., (© The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Endocrine Society. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)