NICHD researchers study various factors that influence healthy pregnancies and optimal outcomes. For instance, the maternal genome is known to influence fetal growth, which in turn can affect a mother’s long-term risk for metabolic complications such as type 2 diabetes. However, how these observations are connected at the genome level is not clear.
In a study from NICHD’s Epidemiology Branch, researchers evaluated the influence of two genomic measurements called “genetic distance” and “genetic ancestry proportion” using data from almost 2,000 U.S. participants in NICHD’s Fetal Growth Study.
- The team specifically examined maternal genetic risk score for type 2 diabetes and whether this had an impact on fetal weight and birthweight.
- The researchers found that maternal genetic risk scores for type 2 diabetes begins to influence fetal weight in the early second trimester of pregnancy. Furthermore, the presence of these associations, as well as the timing during pregnancy, varied based on “genetic distance” and “genetic ancestry proportion” scores.
- In some cases, associations were found when using “genetic ancestry proportion” scores that were undetected when using “genetic distance.”
- The findings emphasize the importance of considering both “genetic distance” and “genetic ancestry proportion” values in future research.
Reference
Habtewold TD, Wijesiriwardhana P, Biedrzycki RJ, and Tekola-Ayele F. Genetic distance and ancestry proportion modify the association between maternal genetic risk score of type 2 diabetes and fetal growth. Human Genomics DOI: 10.1186/s40246-024-00645-1 (2024)
Learn more about the Division of Population Health Research (DiPHR): https://www.nichd.nih.gov/about/org/dir/dph.
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