Mini-puberty testosterone and infant autistic traits.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Levels of steroid hormones in the first three months of life, a period referred to as 'mini-puberty', are one of the earliest physiological differences between typical males and females postnatally. Autistic traits also show consistent typical sex differences in later infancy, after the 18^th month of life. Previous studies have shown prenatal testosterone is associated with later levels of autistic traits. Studies testing if postnatal testosterone levels are associated with autistic traits have reported null results. No studies to date have investigated mini-puberty longitudinally or tested for interactions with baseline sex differences or familial likelihood of autism.

Methods

The 'Cambridge Human Imaging and Longitudinal Development Study' (CHI

SUBMITTER: Tsompanidis A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10113441 | biostudies-literature | 2023

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature