Maternal Inflammation Linked to Neurodevelopmental Disorders in Children: JAMA
Researchers have found in a new study that maternal inflammatory proteins during pregnancy are associated with a higher risk of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) in children by age 10. Moreover, the presence of key proteins like VEGFA, CD5, IL-12B, CCL3, FGF-23, and MCP-1 suggests that maternal inflammation may negatively impact prenatal brain development. Further research is needed to identify specific pathways and develop targeted prevention strategies for better neurodevelopmental outcomes. This study was published in JAMA Psychiatry by Tingting Wang and colleagues.
The follow-up of the Danish Copenhagen Prospective Studies on Asthma 2010 birth cohort was a 10-year study and analyzed 92 inflammatory proteins in maternal plasma obtained at 24 weeks of gestation. The study consisted of 555 mother-child pairs, with an average maternal age of 32.4 years. Among the children, 51% were male. Maternal inflammatory protein levels during pregnancy were studied, followed by a study of their correlation with NDDs and EFs in children at age 10. Principal component analysis (PCA) and sparse partial least squares (sPLS) techniques were used to recognize patterns of expression linked to NDD risk.
Key Findings
• The elevated level of maternal inflammatory proteins associated with principal component 1 significantly increased the risk of developing any NDD (OR: 1.49; 95% CI: 1.15-1.94; p=0.003).
• Strong correlation has been established especially with autism (OR: 2.76; 95% CI: 1.45-5.63; p=.003) and ADHD with predominantly inattentive presentation (OR: 1.57; 95% CI: 1.05-2.39; p=0.03).
• In single-protein analysis, with FDR correction at a threshold of 5%, 18 of the 92 identified proteins retained their significance.
• Vascular endothelial growth factor A, C-C motif chemokine ligand, CD5, interleukin 12B, fibroblast growth factor-23, and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 have been associated with an increased risk of developing NDD.
• The sPLS approach highlighted 34 proteins linked to any NDD and 39 proteins that were associated with ADHD with predominantly inattentive presentation.
• Maternal inflammation is not associated with a significant association to executive function impairments after FDR correction.
This research demonstrates evidence that maternal inflammatory protein concentrations during pregnancy are linked to risk in children for NDDs. The findings highlight the significance of maternal health while pregnant and the likelihood of prevention efforts aimed at children that decrease neurodevelopmental disorders among them. More work should be conducted to elucidate the mechanisms involved in the associations and to implement effective intervention.
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