Caregiver-child interaction and early childhood development among preschool children in rural China: the possible role of blood epigenome-wide DNA methylation

Blood DNA methylation may mediate the association between caregiver-child interaction and ECD in preschool children. This provides population-level epigenetic evidence supporting parenting interventions for vulnerable preschool children who experience poor caregiver-child interaction, aiming to ensure optimal early development potential. However, future studies in diverse populations are needed to validate these findings.