5 | CONCLUSIONS
This study is the first to
investigate the association
between neonatal hair metabolome and infant neurobehavior development at
2-3 years of age. Altered
metabolic pathways including cysteine and methionine, aminoacyl-tRNA,
nicotinate, and nicotinamide metabolism may reflect excessive oxidative
stress, reduced protein production, and attenuated nervous system
development during the critical window of intrauterine brain
development. Metabolome profiles of neonatal hair may be of value in
understanding the underlying pathophysiology of neurodevelopmental
outcomes and novel predictors of infant neurodevelopment longitudinally.