Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37697338›Full record

SynthesisClinical epigenetics2023

Analysis of DNA methylation at birth and in childhood reveals changes associated with season of birth and latitude.

Latha Kadalayil, Md Zahangir Alam, Cory Haley White, Akram Ghantous, Esther Walton, Olena Gruzieva, Simon Kebede Merid, Ashish Kumar, Ritu P Roy, Olivia Solomon and 93 more

Open access · goldAbstract readMeta-Analysis
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Clinical epigenetics, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing papers in PubMed
1.4field-weighted citation impact, top 19% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

8 citing papers in PubMed, 9 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Review
  2. Review
  3. Article
  4. Season of birth and schizotypy in a sample of undergraduate students.Social psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology · 2025
    Article
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. Article
  8. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

103 authors at 20 institutions in 19 countries.

Latha KadalayilClinical and Experimental Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.
Md Zahangir AlamHuman Development and Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton General Hospital, Southampton, UK.
Cory Haley WhiteMerck Exploratory Science Center in Cambridge MA, Merck Research Laboratories, Cambridge, MA, 02141, USA.
Akram GhantousEpigenomics and Mechanisms Branch, International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, France.
Esther Walton *Department of Psychology, University of Bath, Bath, UK.
Olena GruzievaInstitute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
Simon Kebede MeridCentre for Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Region Stockholm, Sweden.
Ashish KumarDepartment of Clinical Science and Education, Södersjukhuset, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
Ritu P RoyHelen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center University of California, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA.
Olivia SolomonChildren's Environmental Health Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA.
Karen HuenChildren's Environmental Health Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA.
Brenda EskenaziChildren's Environmental Health Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA.
Peter RzehakDivision of Metabolic and Nutritional Medicine, Dr. von Hauner Children's Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians Universität München (LMU), Munich, Germany.
Veit GroteDivision of Metabolic and Nutritional Medicine, Dr. von Hauner Children's Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians Universität München (LMU), Munich, Germany.
Jean-Paul LanghendriesCHC, St Vincent, Liège-Rocourt, Belgium.
Elvira VerduciDepartment of Pediatrics, Vittore Buzzi Children Hospital, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
Natalia FerrePediatric Nutrition and Human Development Research Unit, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, IISPV, Reus, Spain.
Darek GruszfeldNeonatal Department, Children's Memorial Health Institute, Warsaw, Poland.
Lu GaoDepartment of Preventive Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Weihua GuanDivision of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, A460 Mayo Building, MMC 303, 420 Delaware St. SE, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA.
Xuehuo ZengGlotech, Inc., Rockville, MD, USA.
Enrique F SchistermanDepartment of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Informatics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 423 Guardian Drive, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
John F DouDepartment of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA.
Kelly M BakulskiDepartment of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA.
Jason I FeinbergWendy Klag Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Munawar Hussain SoomroSorbonne Université and INSERM, Epidemiology of Allergic and Respiratory Diseases Department, Pierre Louis Institute of Epidemiology and Public Health (IPLESP UMRS 1136), Saint-Antoine Medical School, Paris Cedex 12, France.
Giancarlo PesceSorbonne Université and INSERM, Epidemiology of Allergic and Respiratory Diseases Department, Pierre Louis Institute of Epidemiology and Public Health (IPLESP UMRS 1136), Saint-Antoine Medical School, Paris Cedex 12, France.
Nour BaizInstitut Desbrest de Santé Publique (IDESP), INSERM and Montpellier University, Montpellier, France.
Elena IsaevskaCancer Epidemiology Unit, Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin, CPO Piemonte, Italy.
Michelle PlusquinCenter for Environmental Sciences, University of Hasselt, 3590, Diepenbeek, Belgium.
Marina VafeiadiDepartment of Social Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Crete, Heraklion, Greece.
Theano RoumeliotakiDepartment of Social Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Crete, Heraklion, Greece.
Sabine A S LangieUnit Health, Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Mol, Belgium.
Arnout StandaertUnit Health, Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Mol, Belgium.
Catherine AllardCentre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Universite de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Canada.
Patrice PerronDepartment of Medicine, Universite de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Canada.
Luigi BouchardDepartment of Biochemistry and Functional Genomics, Universite de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Canada.
Evelien R van MeelThe Generation R Study Group, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Janine F FelixThe Generation R Study Group, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Vincent W V JaddoeThe Generation R Study Group, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Paul D YousefiMedical Research Council Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
Cecilia H Ramlau-HansenDepartment of Public Health, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
Caroline L ReltonMedical Research Council Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
Elmar W TobiPericonceptional Epidemiology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center, PO Box 2040, 3000 CA, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Anne P StarlingLife Course Epidemiology of Adiposity and Diabetes (LEAD) Center, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA.
Ivana V YangDepartment of Epidemiology, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA.
Maria LlambrichInstitute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Barcelona, Spain.
Gillian SantorelliBradford Institute for Health Research, Bradford, UK.
Johanna LepeuleInstitute for Advanced Biosciences, University Grenoble-Alpes, INSERM, CNRS, Grenoble, France.
Lucas A SalasInstitute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Barcelona, Spain.
Mariona BustamanteInstitute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Barcelona, Spain.
Susan L EwartDepartment of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.
Hongmei ZhangDivision of Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, University of Memphis, Memphis, USA.
Wilfried KarmausDivision of Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, University of Memphis, Memphis, USA.
Stefan RöderDepartment of Environmental Immunology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Leipzig, Germany.
Ana Claudia ZenclussenDepartment of Environmental Immunology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Leipzig, Germany.
Jianping Jin2530 Meridian Pkwy, Suite 200, Durham, NC 27713, USA.
Wenche NystadDepartment of Chronic Diseases and Ageing, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway.
Christian M PageCentre for Fertility and Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway.
Maria MagnusCentre for Fertility and Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway.
Dereje D JimaCenter for Human Health and the Environment, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA.
Cathrine HoyoCenter for Human Health and the Environment, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA.
Rachel L MaguireDepartment of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA.
Tuomas KvistDepartment of Psychology and Logopedics, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
Darina CzamaraDepartment of Translational Research in Psychiatry, Max-Planck-Institute of Psychiatry, 80804, Munich, Germany.
Katri RäikkönenDepartment of Psychology and Logopedics, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
Tong GongDepartment of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
Vilhelmina UllemarDepartment of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
Sheryl L Rifas-ShimanDepartment of Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Boston, USA.
Emily Oken *Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Boston, USA.
Catarina Almqvist *Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
Robert KarlssonDepartment of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
Jari LahtiDepartment of Psychology and Logopedics, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
Susan K MurphyDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA.
Siri E HåbergCentre for Fertility and Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway.
Stephanie LondonDepartment of Health and Human Services, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, RTP, NC, 27709, USA.
Gunda HerberthDepartment of Environmental Immunology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Leipzig, Germany.
Hasan ArshadClinical and Experimental Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.
Jordi SunyerInstitute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Barcelona, Spain.
Regina GrazulevicieneDepartment of Environmental Science, Vytautas Magnus University, 44248, Kaunas, Lithuania.
Dana DabeleaLife Course Epidemiology of Adiposity and Diabetes (LEAD) Center, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA.
Régine P M Steegers-TheunissenPericonceptional Epidemiology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center, PO Box 2040, 3000 CA, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Ellen A NohrDepartment of Clinical Research, Odense Universitetshospital, Odense, Denmark.
Thorkild I A SørensenNovo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Liesbeth DuijtsThe Generation R Study Group, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Marie-France HivertDepartment of Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Boston, USA.
Vera NelenProvincial Institute for Hygiene, Antwerp, Belgium.
Maja PopovicCancer Epidemiology Unit, Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin, CPO Piemonte, Italy.
Manolis KogevinasInstitute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Barcelona, Spain.
Tim S NawrotCenter for Environmental Sciences, University of Hasselt, 3590, Diepenbeek, Belgium.
Zdenko HercegEpigenomics and Mechanisms Branch, International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, France.
Isabella Annesi-MaesanoInstitut Desbrest de Santé Publique (IDESP), INSERM and Montpellier University, Montpellier, France.
M Daniele FallinWendy Klag Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Edwina YeungEpidemiology Branch, Division of Population Health Research, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, 6710B Rockledge Dr, MSC 7004, Bethesda, MD, USA.
Carrie V BretonDepartment of Preventive Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Berthold KoletzkoDivision of Metabolic and Nutritional Medicine, Dr. von Hauner Children's Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians Universität München (LMU), Munich, Germany.
Nina HollandChildren's Environmental Health Laboratory, CERCH, Berkeley Public Health, University of California, 2121 Berkeley Way #5216, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA.
Joseph L WiemelsCenter for Genetic Epidemiology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, USA.
Erik MelénDepartment of Clinical Science and Education, Södersjukhuset, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
Gemma C SharpMedical Research Council Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
Matt J SilverMedical Research Council Unit, The Gambia at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Fajara, The Gambia.
Faisal I Rezwan *Human Development and Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton General Hospital, Southampton, UK.
John W Holloway *Human Development and Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton General Hospital, Southampton, UK. J.W.Holloway@soton.ac.uk.
Erasmus MC · NLKarolinska Institutet · SEInserm · FRNorwegian Institute of Public Health · NOHarvard University · USHelmholtz Centre for Environmental Research · DELudwig-Maximilians-Universität München · DENorth Carolina State University · USSouthampton General Hospital · GBUniversitat Pompeu Fabra · ESUniversité de Sherbrooke · CAUniversity of California, Berkeley · USUniversity of Helsinki · FIUniversity of Southern California · USCentre international de recherche sur le cancer · FRColorado School of Public Health · USHasselt University · BEJohns Hopkins University · USPiedmont Reference Center for Epidemiology and Cancer Prevention · ITUniversity of Bristol · GB

Funding

UNC-CH CENTER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH &SUSCEPTIBILITYP30ES010126 · NIEHS · UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL · PI Hazel B Nichols · 2001 to 2026
$36.3M
Translational Research Support CoreP30ES025128 · NIEHS · NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY RALEIGH · PI Sue Fenton · 2015 to 2026
$18.3M
Duke University Program in Environmental HealthT32ES021432 · NIEHS · DUKE UNIVERSITY · PI Akhenaton-Andrew Dhafir Jones, Joel Newman Meyer · 2013 to 2026
$4.0M
Follow-up and Maintenance of the Newborn Epigenetics STudy (NEST) CohortR24ES028531 · NIEHS · NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY RALEIGH · PI HOYO, CATHRINE, MURPHY, SUSAN KAY · 2018 to 2022
$1.9M
Fostering Scientific and Workforce Diversity by Maintaining and Enriching the CHAMACOS Birth CohortU24ES028529 · NIEHS · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA BERKELEY · PI GUNIER, ROBERT · 2023 to 2025
$1.1M
Medical Research Council MC_UU_00032/4NIEHS NIH HHS P30 ES010126NIEHS NIH HHS P30 ES025128NIEHS NIH HHS R24 ES028531NIEHS NIH HHS T32 ES021432NIEHS NIH HHS U24 ES028529World Health Organization 001
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundSeasonal variations in environmental exposures at birth or during gestation are associated with numerous adult traits and health outcomes later in life. Whether DNA methylation (DNAm) plays a role in the molecular mechanisms underlying the associations between birth season and lifelong phenotypes remains unclear.

methodsWe carried out epigenome-wide meta-analyses within the Pregnancy And Childhood Epigenetic Consortium to identify associations of DNAm with birth season, both at differentially methylated probes (DMPs) and regions (DMRs). Associations were examined at two time points: at birth (21 cohorts, N = 9358) and in children aged 1-11 years (12 cohorts, N = 3610). We conducted meta-analyses to assess the impact of latitude on birth season-specific associations at both time points.

resultsWe identified associations between birth season and DNAm (False Discovery Rate-adjusted p values < 0.05) at two CpGs at birth (winter-born) and four in the childhood (summer-born) analyses when compared to children born in autumn. Furthermore, we identified twenty-six differentially methylated regions (DMR) at birth (winter-born: 8, spring-born: 15, summer-born: 3) and thirty-two in childhood (winter-born: 12, spring and summer: 10 each) meta-analyses with few overlapping DMRs between the birth seasons or the two time points. The DMRs were associated with genes of known functions in tumorigenesis, psychiatric/neurological disorders, inflammation, or immunity, amongst others. Latitude-stratified meta-analyses [higher (≥ 50°N), lower (< 50°N, northern hemisphere only)] revealed differences in associations between birth season and DNAm by birth latitude. DMR analysis implicated genes with previously reported links to schizophrenia (LAX1), skin disorders (PSORS1C, LTB4R), and airway inflammation including asthma (LTB4R), present only at birth in the higher latitudes (≥ 50°N).

conclusionsIn this large epigenome-wide meta-analysis study, we provide evidence for (i) associations between DNAm and season of birth that are unique for the seasons of the year (temporal effect) and (ii) latitude-dependent variations in the seasonal associations (spatial effect). DNAm could play a role in the molecular mechanisms underlying the effect of birth season on adult health outcomes.

Indexed as

AsthmaDNA MethylationCarcinogenesisChildChild, PreschoolHumansInfantInfant, NewbornInflammationSeasonsBirth seasonDifferentially methylated regions (DMR)DNA methylationLatitudeMeta-analysisPACE

Identifiers

PMID37697338
PMCPMC10496224
OpenAlexW4386599917

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.