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Is early postnatal growth velocity, a proxy of minipubertal androgen action, related to adult second‐to‐fourth digit (2D:4D) ratios in men? A test in Cebu, Philippines
Author(s) -
Georgiev Alexander V.,
Ryan Calen P.,
Borja Judith B.,
Kuzawa Christopher W.
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
american journal of human biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.559
H-Index - 81
eISSN - 1520-6300
pISSN - 1042-0533
DOI - 10.1002/ajhb.23047
Subject(s) - digit ratio , anthropometry , proxy (statistics) , androgen , numerical digit , medicine , testosterone (patch) , demography , growth velocity , endocrinology , mathematics , statistics , hormone , arithmetic , sociology
Objectives The ratio of the length of the second to the fourth digit (2D:4D) of the hand is often used as an index of prenatal androgen exposure but it might also be affected by androgens during “minipuberty,” a period of temporarily high testosterone (T) production in the first few months of life. To examine this, we tested the prediction that men with lower 2D:4D ratios had greater weight growth velocities during the first months of life—a metric recently shown to correlate with concurrent T levels. Methods We related early growth data to 2D:4D ratios of both hands measured in 756 men (25–26 years) from Cebu, The Philippines. Results Birth‐to‐fourth‐month (B4M) weight gain velocity (a proxy of early postnatal androgen action) was not associated with adult 2D:4D ratios of either hand, when the latter was measured continuously. When comparing men with more male‐typical digit ratios (<1.0) to those with more female‐typical ratios (≥ 1.0), the group of men with more male‐typical ratios had greater B4M weight velocity, but this was only the case for the left hand. Conclusions We found modest evidence that adult digit ratios relate to an anthropometric correlate of androgen exposure during minipuberty. Definitive assessment of the role of postnatal T in shaping digit ratios will require direct measures of perinatal T related to longitudinally assessed digit ratios.