Transgender children are no more or less likely than other children to conform to gender stereotypes in how they dress and play, suggesting they have a strong sense of identity from an early age, according to a study published on Monday. All young children tend to favor the toys and clothing typically associated with their gender, researchers at the University of Washington concluded from a study of hundreds of American and Canadian children aged between 3 and 12. The project marked the first time that transgender children – those who do not identify as the gender they were born with – had been studied from such a young age, according to the researchers. It comes amid fierce debate in several Western countries over the number of children being referred to gender identity clinics and sometimes going on to have hormonal treatment in adolescence that affects how they develop.