Time-varying effects are common in genetic control of gestational duration.

ABSTRACT: Preterm birth is a major burden to neonatal health worldwide, determined in part by genetics. Recently, studies discovered several genes associated with this trait or its continuous equivalent-gestational duration. However, their effect timing, and thus clinical importance, is still unclear. Here, we use genotyping data of 31 000 births from the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child cohort (MoBa) to investigate different models of the genetic pregnancy 'clock'. We conduct genome-wide association studies using gestational duration or preterm birth, replicating known maternal associations and finding one new fetal variant. We illustrate how the interpretation of these results is complicated by the loss of power when dichotomizing. Using flexible survival models, we resolve this complexity and f

SUBMITTER: Juodakis J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10321382 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature