<![CDATA[Objective: To evaluate the association between cord-blood or early neonatal brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) concentrations and neurodevelopmental outcomes during the first three years of life. Methods: This systematic review and meta-analysis followed PRISMA 2020. PubMed, ScienceDirect, and SpringerLink were searched through September 7, 2026. Human studies measuring BDNF at birth or within the first seven postnatal days and reporting neurodevelopmental outcomes were eligible. Risk of bias was assessed using the Quality In Prognosis Studies tool. Comparable correlation coefficients were Fisher-z transformed and pooled using random-effects inverse-variance models. Results: Of 1,421 records, 14 studies met the inclusion criteria and four contributed to at least one meta-analysis. Associations were small and statistically inconclusive for cognitive development (r=0.17; 95% CI −0.00 to 0.34; I²=0%) and motor development (r=0.13; 95% CI −0.04 to 0.30; I²=0%). The language association was near null (r=0.03; 95% CI −0.14 to 0.21; I²=0%). Seven studies had moderate and seven high overall risk of bias. Conclusion: Neonatal BDNF may carry a modest biological signal for cognitive and motor development, but current evidence is insufficient for clinical prognostic use.]]>
Copyrights © 2026
