| abstract |
Determination of the methylation status of individual selected Cp/G dinucleotides/ CpG groups 5' to the coding region of selected genes, preferably in a perinatal tissue sample such as umbilical cord, can be used to predict future development of diverse phenotypic characteristics, such as indices of body composition indicative of, for example, obesity or low bone mineral content, indices of impaired cardiovascular structure or function, ability to learn and cognitive function, neurobehavourial problems and allergic disorders such as atopic eczema. |