Using structural equation modelling to jointly estimate maternal and fetal effects on birthweight in the UK Biobank.

ABSTRACT:

Background

To date, 60 genetic variants have been robustly associated with birthweight. It is unclear whether these associations represent the effect of an individual's own genotype on their birthweight, their mother's genotype, or both.

Methods

We demonstrate how structural equation modelling (SEM) can be used to estimate both maternal and fetal effects when phenotype information is present for individuals in two generations and genotype information is available on the older individual. We conduct an extensive simulation study to assess the bias, power and type 1 error rates of the SEM and also apply the SEM to birthweight data in the UK Biobank study.

Results

Unlike simple regression models, our approach is unbiased when there is both a maternal and a fetal effect.

SUBMITTER: Warrington NM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6124616 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature