title: A statistical framework for testing the causal effects of fetal drive.
abstract: Maternal genetic and phenotypic characteristics (e.g., metabolic and behavioral) affect both the intrauterine milieu and lifelong health trajectories of their fetuses. Yet at the same time, fetal genotype may affect processes that alter pre and postnatal maternal physiology, and the subsequent health of both fetus and mother. We refer to these latter effects as 'fetal drive.' If fetal genotype is driving physiologic, metabolic, and behavioral phenotypic changes in the mother, there is a possibility of differential effects with different fetal genomes inducing different long-term effects on both maternal and fetal health, mediated through intrauterine environment. This proposed mechanistic path remains largely unexamined and untested. In this study, we offer a statistical method to rigorously test this hypothesis and make causal inferences in humans by relying on the (conditional) randomization inherent in the process of meiosis. For illustration, we apply this method to a dataset from the Framingham Heart Study.
authors: Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Alabama at Birmingham Birmingham, AL, USA.
authors: Nianjun
authors: N
authors: Liu
authors: Office of Energetics, School of Public Health, University of Alabama at Birmingham Birmingham, AL, USA.
authors: Edward
authors: E
authors: Archer
authors: Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Alabama at Birmingham Birmingham, AL, USA.
authors: Vinodh
authors: V
authors: Srinivasasainagendra
authors: Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Alabama at Birmingham Birmingham, AL, USA ; Office of Energetics, School of Public Health, University of Alabama at Birmingham Birmingham, AL, USA.
authors: David B
authors: DB
authors: Allison
keywords: causal inference; fetal effects; genetics; human; intrauterine environment; statistics
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