Skip to content
DraconiticResearch
Search Sources API
203,234 studies31 sourcesUpdated 10 min ago
Peer-reviewedCC BY-NC-ND 4.0BMC Pediatrics

Biological and environmental correlates of infant neurodevelopment at six months: an exploratory regression analysis

  • Tatyana Itova1,2
  1. 1University of Ruse “Angel Kanchev”, Ruse, Bulgaria
  2. 2University Multidisciplinary Hospital “MEDICA Ruse” Ltd., Ruse, Bulgaria
Read full textDOICite

Abstract

Background: Early neurodevelopment results from the interaction between biological conditions at birth and the postnatal caregiving environment. Understanding the relative contribution of these factors during early infancy may improve early identification of children at developmental risk.

Objective: To examine associations between biological, maternal, and environmental factors and neurodevelopmental outcomes at six months of age.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 124 healthy term infants aged six months. Neurodevelopment was assessed using the Ages and Stages Questionnaire, Third Edition (ASQ-3) across five developmental domains: communication, gross motor, fine motor, problem solving, and personal–social development. Potential predictors were categorized as biological factors (sex, birth weight, gestational age, breastfeeding status, and prenatal alcohol exposure), maternal factors (maternal educational attainment and early postpartum return to employment), and environmental factors (primary language spoken in the home and daily parent–infant verbal interaction). Hierarchical multiple regression analyses were performed to evaluate the independent contribution of each predictor group to infant neurodevelopmental outcomes.

Results: Biological variables showed the most consistent associations across models, although the proportion of explained variance was modest. Birth weight emerged as the most stable predictor, showing significant positive associations with communication, gross motor, problem-solving, and personal–social development. Prenatal alcohol exposure was associated with lower personal–social scores. Sex differences were observed in communication outcomes, with female infants demonstrating slightly higher scores. Maternal and environmental factors contributed only modestly to explained variance and were not retained as independent predictors in the final regression models.

Conclusion: In this exploratory cross-sectional study of healthy term infants, biological variables, particularly birth weight, showed the most consistent associations with developmental scores at six months. Prenatal alcohol exposure was associated with lower personal–social scores. However, the explained variance was modest, and findings should be interpreted cautiously given the sample size, imbalance in some predictors, and the cross-sectional design.

Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at https://doi.org/10.1186/s12887-026-07384-3.

Related

  1. Biological and environmental correlates of cougar (Puma concolor) survival in west central Alberta
    Carter J Littlefair, Paul F Frame, Mark A Edwards +1
    PLOS OnePeer-reviewedCC BYFull textEcologyZoology & animal behaviourPLOSEurope PMCPMC
  2. Antenatal care contact and optimal IPTp-SP uptake among pregnant women in a district hospital in Ghana: multivariable regression and exploratory decomposition analysis
    Frederick Osei Owusu, Helena Addai-Manu, Julius Kwabena Karikari +9
    Scientific ReportsPeer-reviewedCC BY-NC-ND 4.0Full textObstetrics, gynaecology & paediatricsCrossref
  3. Clinical and Biological Correlates of Resistance and Relapse After CD19-Directed CAR T-Cell Therapy in Large B-Cell Lymphoma: A Structured Narrative Review
    Jean Silva de Souza Resende, Igor Samesima Giner, Maria Gabriela Custodio de Figueiredo +3
    CancersPeer-reviewedCC BY 4.0Full textOncologyCrossrefEurope PMC
  4. Home environmental factors associated with screen time among Japanese preschool children: a cross-sectional secondary analysis using exploratory structural equation modeling
    Izumi Sezai, Naoko Nakayama, Takahiro Tabuchi
    BMC Public HealthPeer-reviewedCC BY-NC-ND 4.0Epidemiology & public healthCrossref
  5. Peripheral blood correlates of negative symptom severity in schizophrenia: exploratory findings from an Indian cohort
    Vinesh S. Kamble, Vipul V. Wagh, Soumya Yadav +13
    Frontiers in GeneticsPeer-reviewedCC BYFull textPsychiatry & mental healthDOAJ

Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{itova2026biological,
  title = {{Biological and environmental correlates of infant neurodevelopment at six months: an exploratory regression analysis}},
  author = {Tatyana Itova},
  journal = {BMC Pediatrics},
  year = {2026},
  month = jul,
  doi = {10.1186/s12887-026-07384-3},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1186/s12887-026-07384-3},
  note = {CC BY-NC-ND 4.0},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Biological and environmental correlates of infant neurodevelopment at six months: an exploratory regression analysis
AU  - Tatyana Itova
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/07/30
JO  - BMC Pediatrics
DO  - 10.1186/s12887-026-07384-3
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1186/s12887-026-07384-3
AB  - Background: Early neurodevelopment results from the interaction between biological conditions at birth and the postnatal caregiving environment. Understanding the relative contribution of these factors during early infancy may improve early identification of children at developmental risk.  Objective: To examine associations between biological, maternal, and environmental factors and neurodevelopmental outcomes at six months of age.  Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 124 healthy term infants aged six months. Neurodevelopment was assessed using the Ages and Stages Questionnaire, Third Edition (ASQ-3) across five developmental domains: communication, gross motor, fine motor, problem solving, and personal–social development. Potential predictors were categorized as biological factors (sex, birth weight, gestational age, breastfeeding status, and prenatal alcohol exposure), maternal factors (maternal educational attainment and early postpartum return to employment), and environmental factors (primary language spoken in the home and daily parent–infant verbal interaction). Hierarchical multiple regression analyses were performed to evaluate the independent contribution of each predictor group to infant neurodevelopmental outcomes.  Results: Biological variables showed the most consistent associations across models, although the proportion of explained variance was modest. Birth weight emerged as the most stable predictor, showing significant positive associations with communication, gross motor, problem-solving, and personal–social development. Prenatal alcohol exposure was associated with lower personal–social scores. Sex differences were observed in communication outcomes, with female infants demonstrating slightly higher scores. Maternal and environmental factors contributed only modestly to explained variance and were not retained as independent predictors in the final regression models.  Conclusion: In this exploratory cross-sectional study of healthy term infants, biological variables, particularly birth weight, showed the most consistent associations with developmental scores at six months. Prenatal alcohol exposure was associated with lower personal–social scores. However, the explained variance was modest, and findings should be interpreted cautiously given the sample size, imbalance in some predictors, and the cross-sectional design.  Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at https://doi.org/10.1186/s12887-026-07384-3.
SN  - 1471-2431
ER  -