An epigenetic clock for gestational age at birth based on blood methylation data.
Anna K KnightJeffrey M CraigChristiane ThedaMarie Bækvad-HansenJonas Bybjerg-GrauholmChristine S HansenMads V HollegaardDavid M HougaardPreben B MortensenShantel M WeinsheimerThomas M WergePatricia A BrennanJoseph F CubellsD Jeffrey NewportZachary N StoweJeanie L Y CheongPhilippa DalachLex W DoyleYuk J LokeAndrea A BaccarelliAllan C JustRobert O WrightMara M Téllez-RojoKatherine SvenssonLetizia TrevisiElizabeth M KennedyElisabeth B BinderStella IuratoDarina CzamaraKatri RäikkönenJari M T LahtiAnu-Katriina PesonenEero KajantiePia M VillaHannele LaivuoriEsa HämäläinenHea Jin ParkLynn B BaileySasha E ParetsVarun KilaruRamkumar MenonSteve HorvathNicole R BushKaja Z LeWinnFrances A TylavskyKaren N ConneelyAlicia K SmithPublished in: Genome biology (2016)
DNA methylation can be used to accurately estimate gestational age at or near birth and may provide additional information relevant to developmental stage. Further studies of this predictor are warranted to determine its utility in clinical settings and for research purposes. When clinical estimates are available this measure may increase accuracy in the testing of hypotheses related to developmental age and other early life circumstances.