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Background: Research exploring the relationship between prenatal infection and child behavioural outcomes would benefit from further studies utilising full-population samples with the scale to investigate specific infections and to employ robust designs. We tested the association among several common infections requiring inpatient admission during and after pregnancy with a range of childhood behavioural outcomes, to determine whether any negative impact was specific to the period of foetal development., Methods: The sample included all mother-offspring pairs from the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW) for whom the child commenced their first year of full-time schooling in 2009 (~age 5 years; n = 77,302 offspring), with records linked across four health administrative data sets including the NSW perinatal data collection (PDC), the NSW admitted patient data collection (APDC) and the NSW component of the 2009 Australian Early Development Census (AEDC). Multivariable linear regression was used to test associations between a number of infections requiring inpatient admission during and after pregnancy with a range of teacher assessed behavioural outcomes., Results: Associations specific to the prenatal period were only found for streptococcus A although this would need to be reproduced in external samples given the low prevalence. Otherwise, 12 out of 15 selected infections either showed no association prenatally or also demonstrated associations in the 12 months after pregnancy. For example, prenatal hepatitis C, influenza and urinary E. coli infections were associated with lower scores of several domains of childhood behaviour, but even stronger associations were found when these same maternal infections occurred after pregnancy., Conclusions: The prenatal infections we tested appeared not to impact childhood behaviour by altering foetal neurodevelopment. Rather, the strong associations we found among infections occurring during and after pregnancy point to either residual socioeconomic/lifestyle factors or a shared familial/genetic liability between infections and behavioural problems., (© 2024 The Authors. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health.)

This study aimed to investigate the association between pre-pregnancy, prenatal and perinatal exposures to cannabis use disorder (CUD) and the risk of autism spectrum disoder (ASD) in offspring. Data were drawn from the New South Wales (NSW) Perinatal Data Collection (PDC), population-based, linked administrative health data encompassing all-live birth cohort from January 2003 to December 2005. This study involved 222 534 mother-offspring pairs. . The exposure variable (CUD) and the outcome of interest (ASD) were identified using the 10th international disease classification criteria, Australian Modified (ICD-10-AM). We found a three-fold increased risk of ASD in the offspring of mothers with maternal CUD compared to non-exposed offspring. In our sensitivity analyses, male offspring have a higher risk of ASD associated with maternal CUD than their female counterparts. In conclusion, exposure to maternal CUD is linked to a higher risk of ASD in offspring, with a stronger risk in male offspring. Further research is needed to understand these gender-specific effects and the relationship between maternal CUD and ASD risk in children., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest All authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To examine the association between prenatal cannabis use and structural birth defects in exposed offspring., Methods: In line with the preregistered protocol (PROSPERO: CRD42022368623), we systematically searched PubMed/Medline, CINHAL, EMBASE, Web of Science, ProQuest, Psych-Info, and Google Scholar for published articles until 25 January 2024. The methodological quality of the included studies was appraised by the Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale (NOS). A meta-analysis was carried out to report the pooled effect estimates from the included studies. We further performed subgroup, leave-one-out sensitivity, and meta-regression analyses, which increased the robustness of our findings., Results: In this cumulative meta-analysis, thirty-six observational studies, consisting of 18 case-control and 18 cohort studies, with 230, 816 cases of birth defects and 18,049,013 controls (healthy babies) were included in the final analysis. We found that offspring exposed to maternal prenatal cannabis are at greater risks of a wide range of structural birth defects: cardiovascular/heart [OR = 2.35: 95 % CI 1.63 - 3.39], gastrointestinal [OR = 2.42: 95 % CI 1.61 - 3.64], central nervous system [OR = 2.87: 95 % CI 1.51 - 5.46], genitourinary [OR = 2.39: 95 % CI 1.11 - 5.17], and any (unclassified) birth defects [OR = 1.25: 95 % CI 1.12 - 1.41]., Conclusion: The findings from the current study suggest that maternal prenatal cannabis exposure is associated with a higher risk of different forms of structural birth defects in offspring. The findings underscore the significance of implementing preventive strategies, including enhanced preconception counselling, to address cannabis use during pregnancy and mitigate the risk of birth defects in offspring., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest All authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Background: It is plausible that exposure to cannabis in-utero could be associated with an increased risk of neurodevelopmental disorders such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) during childhood and adolescence; however, mixed results have been reported. This study investigated whether there is an association between prenatal cannabis use and ADHD symptoms and ASD in offspring using a systematic review and meta-analysis methodology., Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted in PubMed/Medline, Scopus, EMBASE, Web of Science, Psych-Info, and Google Scholar to identify relevant studies. The study protocol has been preregistered in the Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) (CRD42022345001), and the Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale (NOS) was used to assess the methodological quality of included studies. An inverse variance weighted random effect meta-analysis was conducted to pool the overall effect estimates from the included studies., Results: Fourteen primary studies, consisting of ten on ADHD and four on ASD, with a total of 203,783 participants, were included in this study. Our meta-analysis underscores an increased risk of ADHD symptoms and/or disorder [β = 0.39: 95 % CI (0.20-0.58), I 2  = 66.85 %, P = 0.001)] and ASD [RR = 1.30: 95 % CI (1.03-1.64), I 2  = 45.5 %, P = 0.14] associated with in-utero cannabis exposure in offspring compared to their non-exposed counterparts. Additionally, our stratified analysis highlighted an elevated risk of ADHD symptoms [β = 0.54: 95 % CI (0.26-0.82)] and a marginally significant increase in the risk of diagnostic ADHD among exposed offspring compared to non-exposed counterparts [RR = 1.13, 95 % CI (1.01, 1.26)]., Conclusion: This study indicated that maternal prenatal cannabis exposure is associated with a higher risk of ADHD symptoms and ASD in offspring., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest All authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Background: Epidemiological studies have linked prenatal tobacco and alcohol exposures to internalizing behaviours in children and adolescents with inconsistent findings. Dearth of epidemiological studies have investigated the associations with the risk of experiencing symptoms of anxiety in young adulthood., Methods: Study participants (N = 1190) were from the Raine Study, a population-based prospective birth cohort based in Perth, Western Australia. Data on prenatal tobacco and alcohol exposures were available for the first and third trimesters of pregnancy. Experiencing symptoms of anxiety in young adulthood at age 20 years was measured by a short form of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS 21). Relative risk (RR) of experiencing symptoms of anxiety in young adulthood for prenatal tobacco and alcohol exposures were estimated with log binomial regression., Results: After adjusting for potential confounders, we observed increased risks of experiencing symptoms of anxiety in young adults exposed to prenatal tobacco in the first trimester [RR = 1.52, 95% CI: 1.12-2.06, p-value < 0.01] and third trimester [RR = 1.53, 95% CI: 1.10-2.13, p-value  = 0.02]. However, we found insufficient statistical evidence for an association between first trimester [RR = 1.01, 95% CI: 0.76-1.22, p-value = 0.90] and third trimester [RR = 1.03, 95% CI: 0.80-1.34, p-value = 0.91] prenatal exposure to alcohol and the risk of experiencing symptoms of anxiety in young adults. There was a dose response association between prenatal tobacco exposure and increasing anxiety symptoms in offspring., Conclusion: The findings of this study suggest that an association between prenatal tobacco exposure and risk of anxiety symptoms remains apparent into young adulthood., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Prenatal alcohol exposure has been found to be associated with adverse physical and mental health outcomes in postnatal life, but the evidence is equivocal as to whether such exposure increases the risk of subsequent alcohol use in the offspring. We systematically reviewed the literature on the association between prenatal alcohol exposure and subsequent alcohol use in the offspring., Methods: Relevant primary studies were identified via systematic search of PubMed/Medline, SCOPUS, EMBASE and Psych-INFO databases. Articles were also retrieved by reviewing reference lists of the identified studies. Literature searches did not have language and date limits but were restricted to human studies. The revised Newcastle-Ottawa Scale was used to evaluate the methodological quality of the studies included in this review. The protocol of this study was prospectively registered in the PROSPERO., Results: Twelve observational studies, published between 1998 and 2020, were included in the final review. Eight studies (66.7%) reported an increased risk of alcohol use or increased level of alcohol drinking, two studies (16.7%) reported an increased risk of alcohol use disorder and one study (8.3%) reported an increased odds of alcohol sipping in offspring exposed to maternal prenatal alcohol use compared to non-exposed. However, one study (8.3%) reported insufficient statistical evidence for an association between prenatal alcohol exposure and offspring subsequent alcohol use. However, it should be noted that the large amount of variability across studies included in this review may limit more conclusive inference., Conclusion: The findings of this review suggest a positive link between prenatal alcohol exposure and offspring's subsequent alcohol use. However, further mechanistic studies that allow stronger causal inference are warranted to further elucidate specific causal pathways., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: There is a paucity of prospective longitudinal studies examining the associations between maternal use of alcohol and tobacco during pregnancy and the risk of cannabis use in offspring. The aim of this study was to examine the association between prenatal alcohol and tobacco exposures and offspring cannabis use., Methods: Data were from the Raine Study, a longitudinal prospective birth cohort based in Western Australia. Cannabis use at 17 years of age was measured with a self-reported questionnaire developed to capture risky behaviors in adolescents. Associations between prenatal alcohol and tobacco exposures and the risk of cannabis use in offspring were examined using log-binomial regression models, computing relative risk (RR). We also computed the E-values (E) to estimate the extent of unmeasured confounding., Results: After adjusting for potential confounders, we observed increased risks of cannabis use in offspring exposed to first trimester prenatal alcohol use (RR = 1.38, 95% CI: 1.09-1.75; E = 2.10, CI:1.40) and tobacco use (RR = 1.42, 95% CI: 1.08-1.86; E = 2.19, CI:1.37) as well as third trimester prenatal alcohol use (RR = 1.39, 95% CI: 1.09-1.79; E = 2.13, CI:1.40) and tobacco use (RR = 1.39, 95% CI: 1.09-1.79; E = 2.21, CI:1.34]. We also noted dose-response associations in which risk estimates in offspring increased with the level of exposures to prenatal alcohol and tobacco use., Conclusion: These findings provide epidemiological evidence for effects of prenatal alcohol and tobacco exposures on offspring cannabis use. Although these results should be confirmed by other studies, the present study adds to the mounting evidence suggesting that women should be encouraged to abstain from alcohol and tobacco during pregnancy., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Previous studies have suggested associations between maternal smoking during pregnancy (MSDP) and a range of adverse outcomes in offspring. However, evidence reporting adverse effects on poor academic performance in adolescence is scant., Methods: This register-based cohort study used linked data obtained from New South Wales (NSW) educational and health registries in Australia. MSDP was assessed using self-reports of smoking during pregnancy. Offspring's educational performance was assessed using the National Assessment Program for Literacy and numeracy (NAPLAN), when students were in grade 9 and approximately aged 14 years. We used multivariable logistic regression models to explore associations., Results: Adolescent offspring exposed to MSDP were at an increased risk of substandard academic performance in all domains, with the highest odds for spelling [OR, 3.12 (95%CI 2.98-3.26)] followed by writing [OR, 2.97 (95%CI 2.84-3.11)], reading [OR, 2.49 (95%CI 2.37-2.62)], and numeracy [OR, 2.43 (95%CI 2.30-2.58)]. In our sex-stratified analysis, MSDP displayed stronger effects on the academic performance of female offspring in all domains., Conclusions: Our findings showed that MSDP was associated with an increased risk of reduced academic performance in adolescent offspring. The different effects of MSDP on the academic performance of male and female offspring is a new finding, which needs further investigation., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: There is some compelling, though not comprehensive, epidemiological evidence which suggests an association between prenatal tobacco exposure and tobacco smoking/dependence in offspring. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to identify the magnitude and consistency of associations reported between prenatal tobacco exposure and subsequent tobacco smoking/dependence in offspring., Methods: Using the PRISMA guideline, we systematically searched PubMed, SCOPUS, EMBASE and Psych-INFO to identify relevant studies. The methodological quality of all identified studies was checked by the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Inverse variance weighted random effects meta-analysis was used to estimate pooled risk ratio (RR) and 95 % confidence intervals (CI). We stratified outcomes by tobacco smoking initiation, lifetime tobacco smoking, current tobacco smoking and tobacco dependence. We further performed subgroup and leave-one-out sensitivity analyses. The protocol of this review was registered in the PROSPERO., Results: Twenty-six cohort and one case-control study were included in the final meta-analysis. We found elevated pooled risks of tobacco smoking initiation [RR = 2.08, (95 % CI: 1.18-3.68)], ever tobacco smoking [RR = 1.21, (95 % CI: 1.05-1.38)], current tobacco smoking [RR = 1.70, (95 % CI: 1.48-1.95)] and tobacco dependence [RR = 1.50, (95 % CI: 1.31-1.73)] in offspring exposed to maternal prenatal tobacco use compared to non-exposed. We also noted higher risk estimate of current tobacco smoking in offspring exposed to heavy prenatal tobacco smoking [RR = 1.68, (95 % CI: 1.26-2.23)] when compared to prenatal exposure to lighter tobacco use [RR = 1.39, (95 % CI: 1.09-1.78)]. There was no association observed between paternal smoking during pregnancy and tobacco smoking in offspring., Conclusion: Offspring exposed to maternal prenatal tobacco smoking are at an increased risk of tobacco smoking/dependence, indicating that tobacco smoking cessation during gestation may be imperative to reduce these risks in offspring., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Emerging epidemiological evidence suggests that offspring born to mothers who smoked tobacco during pregnancy may have elevated risk of developing conduct disorder (CD) symptoms. We examined associations between maternal and paternal tobacco smoking during pregnancy and CD symptoms in offspring at the age of 14 years., Methods: We obtained data from the Raine Study, a multi-generational cohort study based in Western Australia. DSM-oriented scale of the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) was used to measure CD symptoms in offspring. Negative binomial regression was used to estimate the rate ratio (risks) (RR) of CD symptoms in offspring. We also produced the E-values to investigate the extent of unmeasured confounding. Paternal smoking during pregnancy was used as a proxy for environmental tobacco smoke exposure., Results: Complete data were available for 1747 mother-offspring and 1711 father-offspring pairs. After adjusting for potential confounders, we found elevated risks (rates) of CD symptoms in offspring born to mothers smoking tobacco during the first trimester [RR 1.52 (95 % CI: 1.24-1.87)], third trimester [RR 1.36 (95 % CI: 1.09-1.69)] and during both trimesters of pregnancy [RR 1.50 (95 % CI: 1.19-1.90)]. The rates of CD symptoms in offspring increased with the level of exposure to maternal smoking during pregnancy. However, we noted insufficient statistical evidence for an association between paternal smoking during pregnancy and CD symptoms in offspring., Conclusion: The associations we found for maternal but not paternal smoking may suggest a biological mechanism for intrauterine tobacco exposure on the risk of CD symptoms in offspring. Early interventions assisting pregnant mothers to quit tobacco smoking, or avoid smoking initiation, have potential to contribute health benefits to both mothers and their offspring., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Mounting epidemiological evidence suggests an association between prenatal tobacco exposure and an increased risk of tobacco smoking in offspring. However, it is uncertain whether the association is due to the intrauterine or shared environmental exposures., Methods: Study participants were from the Raine Study, a prospective birth cohort study based in Perth, Western Australia (N = 2730). Tobacco smoking in adolescents, at age 17 years, was measured using a self-reported questionnaire. Log-binomial regression was used to estimate the relative risks (RRs) of tobacco smoking in offspring exposed to maternal prenatal tobacco use during the first and third trimesters of pregnancy. We have also calculated the E-values to investigate the potential effect of unmeasured confounding. Paternal smoking during pregnancy was used as a negative control for comparison., Results: A total of 1210 mothers-offspring pairs were included in the final analysis. After controlling for potential confounders, we found increased risks of tobacco smoking in offspring exposed to maternal prenatal tobacco use during the first trimester [RR 1.50 (95% CI: 1.13-1.97)] (E-value for point estimate = 2.37) and during both trimesters of pregnancy [RR 1.41 (95% CI: 1.03-1.89)] (E-value for point estimate = 2.17). However, we found insufficient statistical evidence for an association between paternal smoking during pregnancy and risk of tobacco smoking in offspring [RR 1.18 (95% CI: 0.84-1.67)]., Conclusion: Maternal prenatal tobacco exposure was associated with an increased risk of tobacco smoking in offspring at the age of 17 years. Tobacco smoking cessation at the early stages of gestation may reduce the risk of tobacco smoking in the next generation., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Prenatal alcohol and tobacco exposures have been associated with adverse mental health consequences in offspring. The objective of this study was to test the associations between maternal prenatal alcohol and tobacco exposures and depressive symptoms in the offspring, adjusting for a wide range of potential confounders., Methods: We used data from 1168 mother-offspring pairs from the Raine Study based in Perth, Western Australia. Depressive symptoms at age 17 years were measured using the Beck Depression Inventory for Youth (BDI-Y). Associations between prenatal alcohol and tobacco use and the risk of depressive symptoms in offspring were estimated by risk ratios (RR) derived with multivariable log-binomial regression., Results: Among offspring who were assessed for depressive symptoms, 5% were born to mothers who consumed six or more standard drinks of alcohol per week during pregnancy and 20% were exposed to prenatal tobacco. After adjustment for confounders, depressive symptoms at the age of 17 years remained associated with maternal alcohol use of six or more standard drinks per week [RR 1.59 (95% CI: 1.11-2.26)] and any tobacco use [RR 1.36 (95% CI: 1.05-1.79)] during the first trimester of pregnancy., Conclusion: Offspring exposed to prenatal alcohol and tobacco use had greater risks of depressive symptoms compared with unexposed offspring, suggesting early screening and prevention of these exposures could possibly reduce depressive symptoms in offspring., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Epidemiological evidence suggests offspring exposed to prenatal alcohol are at increased risk of alcohol use disorders in adulthood. The evidence on the risk of developing harmful alcohol use in adolescence is less clear., Methods: We used data from the Raine Study, a multi-generational birth cohort study, to examine the association between prenatal alcohol exposure and the risk of harmful alcohol use in offspring at the age of 17 years. Log binomial regression was used to estimate the relative risks (RRs) of harmful alcohol use in offspring exposed to maternal alcohol use in the first (early) and third (late) trimesters of pregnancy. Maternal pre-pregnancy alcohol use was used as a negative control for intrauterine exposure for comparison., Results: Complete data were available for 1200 mother-offspring pairs. After adjustment for potential confounders, we found increased RRs of harmful alcohol use in offspring born to mothers who consumed four or more standard drinks of alcohol per week during the first trimester [RR 1.45(95% CI: 1.08-1.93)], third trimester [RR 1.34 (95% CI: 1.04-1.72)] and during both trimesters of pregnancy [RR 1.86 (95% CI: 1.16-2.96)]. Maternal pre-pregnancy alcohol use was not associated with an increased risk of harmful alcohol use in offspring [RR 1.15 (95% CI: 0.89-1.48)]., Conclusion: Observed associations for maternal prenatal alcohol exposure but not maternal pre-pregnancy alcohol use suggests a biological mechanism for intrauterine alcohol exposure on the risk of harmful alcohol use in the offspring., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: It is plausible that offspring born to mothers using tobacco during pregnancy may have increased risk of mood disorders (depression and bipolar disorders); however, mixed results have been reported. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate the magnitude and consistency of associations reported between prenatal tobacco use and mood disorders in offspring., Methods: We systematically searched EMBASE, SCOPUS, PubMed and Psych-INFO for studies on mood disorders and prenatal tobacco use. Methodological quality of studies was assessed with the revised Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. We estimated pooled relative risk (RR) with inverse variance weighted random-effects meta-analysis. We performed leave-one-out analyses, and stratified analyses by a subgroup (depression and bipolar disorder). Potential publication bias was assessed by inspection of the funnel plot and Egger's test for regression asymmetry. This study protocol was prospectively registered in PROSPERO (CRD42017060037)., Results: Eight cohort and two case-control studies were included in the final meta-analysis. We found an increased pooled relative risk of mood disorders in offspring exposed to maternal prenatal tobacco use RRs 1.43 (95% CI 1.27-1.60) compared to no prenatal tobacco use. Similarly, the pooled relative risks of bipolar and depressive disorders in offspring were 1.44, (95% CI 1.15-1.80) and 1.44, (95% CI 1.21-1.71), respectively. Moreover, the pooled estimated risk of mood disorders was not significantly attenuated in the studies that reported sibling comparison results [RR = 1.21 (95% CI 1.04-1.41)]., Conclusion: Taken together, there was strong evidence for a small (RR < 2) association between prenatal tobacco use and mood disorders in offspring.

Maternal thyroid dysfunction during pregnancy may contribute to offspring neurobehavioral disorders. In this paper, we investigate the relationship between maternal thyroid function during pregnancy and offspring depression and anxiety. Data were taken from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. A total of 2,920 mother-child pairs were included. Thyroid-stimulating hormone levels, free thyroxine (FT4), and thyroid peroxidase antibodies were assessed during the first trimester of pregnancy because maternal supply is the only source of thyroid hormone for the fetus during the first 12 weeks of gestation. Child symptoms of depression and anxiety were assessed using the Development and Well-Being Assessment at ages 7.5 and 15 years. The odds of presenting with depression and anxiety were estimated using the generalized estimating equation. The level of FT4 during the first trimester of pregnancy was associated with child depression combined at ages 7.5 and 15 (odds ratio = 1.21, 95% confidence interval [1.00, 1.14]. An increase of 1 standard deviation of FT4 during pregnancy increased the odds of child depression by 28% after adjustment made for potential confounders. No association was found among maternal levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone, FT4, and thyroid peroxidase antibodies and childhood anxiety. In conclusion, increased levels of FT4 during the first trimester of pregnancy appear be linked to greater risk of offspring depression.

Purpose: To evaluate the available evidence on the association between low-to-moderate prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) and the development of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms in the offspring., Methods: We systematically reviewed and meta-analysed studies reporting an association between low and/or moderate PAE and offspring ADHD symptoms (attention and/or hyperactivity). Systematic searches were performed in EMBASE, Pubmed, Medline, and PsycINFO and reviewed from selected references. Random effects modelling was conducted to pool adjusted odds ratios (OR) in different alcohol consumption levels (≤ 20 g/week, ≤ 50 g/week, and ≤ 70 g/week). Stratified analysis by sex per alcohol level was conducted to investigate the difference on OR and the magnitude between-study heterogeneity., Results: Ten studies were included in the systematic review and six in the meta-analysis. Eight studies found no association and two studies suggested an apparent protective effect of low PAE in hyperactivity/inattention symptoms in boys. These results were confirmed by the meta-analysis showing no association between ≤ 20 g/week [OR 1.01 (0.68-1.49)], ≤ 50 g/week [OR 0.94 (0.85-1.03)] and ≤ 70 g/week [OR 0.94 (0.86-1.02)] and ADHD symptoms, with no evidence of publication bias. Stratified analysis by sex for a PAE ≤ 50 g/week exposed less risk of ADHD symptoms in boys compared to girls [OR 0.89 (0.83-0.96)]., Conclusions: We found no increased risk of ADHD symptoms in offspring born to mothers who drank alcohol up to 70 g/week.

Thyroid hormone plays a pivotal role in the developing brain and may affect the development of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This study aimed to examine the role of maternal thyroid function during pregnancy on offspring ADHD. A total of 2912 mother-child pairs were included from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. Thyroid parameters were assessed during the first trimester of pregnancy. Offspring ADHD was assessed using the Development and Well-Being Assessment at the ages of 7.5 and 15 years. The odds of presenting with ADHD were estimated using generalized estimating equations. Levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone (odds ratio [OR], 0.92; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.48-1.75), free thyroxine (OR, 1.07; 95% CI, 0.87-1.32), and thyroid peroxidase antibodies (OR, 1.00; 95% CI, 0.80-1.25) were not associated with ADHD in children aged 7.5 and 15 years. This study showed no association between maternal thyroid function and offspring ADHD.

Background: Maternal thyroid dysfunction during pregnancy may lead to persistent neurodevelopmental disorders in the offspring appearing in later life. This study aimed to review the available evidence concerning the relationship between maternal thyroid status during pregnancy and offspring behavioural and psychiatric disorders., Methods: Systematic electronic database searches were conducted using PubMed, Embase, PsycNET, Scopus, Google Scholar and Cochrane library. Studies including gestational thyroid dysfunction as the exposure and offspring behavioural and psychiatric disorders as the outcome were included. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guideline was followed and, after thorough screening by two independent reviewers, 13 articles remained eligible for inclusion in this study., Results: Indicators of maternal thyroid dysfunction, including low and high thyroid hormone level and autoimmune thyroiditis, during early pregnancy, were found to be associated with several offspring behavioural and psychiatric disorders such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism, pervasive developmental problems, externalising behaviour, in addition to epilepsy and seizure. The majority of associations were found with low maternal thyroid hormone level., Conclusion: Maternal thyroid function during pregnancy, particularly hypothyroidism, is associated with behavioural and psychiatric disorders in children. Further studies are needed with a capacity to adjust for a fuller range of confounding factors., (© 2017 European Society of Endocrinology.)

Objective: Consistent evidence has linked a range of prenatal maternal infections with psychotic disorders in later life. However, the potential for this exposure to impact more common disorders requires further investigation., Methods: Participants came from the Mater University Study of pregnancy, a longitudinal, pre-birth cohort study which recruited pregnant mothers from a Brisbane hospital between 1981 and 1984. At age 21, 2439 offspring completed the CIDI-Auto. Multivariate logistic regression was used to investigate associations of self-reported symptoms of prenatal infection with a range of DSM-IV anxiety and affective diagnoses, while also testing for gender interactions., Results: In multivariate analyses, self-reported symptoms of prenatal genital infection predicted Post-traumatic stress disorders (OR=2.38, 95% CI: 1.14, 4.95) and social phobias (OR=1.93, 95% CI: 1.03, 3.61), in addition to evidence for a gender interaction by which males (OR=6.04, 95% CI: 2.00, 18.30) but not females were at greater risk for PTSD. Further analyses among those with PTSD revealed the relationship to be stronger when excluding those not exposed to trauma (OR=3.21, 95% CI: 1.53, 6.72)., Limitations: We were unable to clinically or serologically verify the presence and the type of prenatal genital infection., Conclusion: This is the first study to show an association between self-reported symptoms of prenatal genital infections and two highly prevalent anxiety disorders among adult offspring. The relationship with PTSD was particularly strong and suggested that the exposure may primarily impact PTSD in males. Further research with the capacity to assess a fuller-range of specific prenatal infections is warranted to evaluate the potential of reducing the prevalence of these disorders., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Exposure to stressful life events during pregnancy has been associated with later schizophrenia in offspring. We explore how prenatal stress and neurodevelopmental abnormalities in childhood associate to increase the risk of later psychotic experiences., Methods: Participants from the Mater University Study of Pregnancy (MUSP), an Australian based, pre-birth cohort study were examined for lifetime DSM-IV positive psychotic experiences at 21 years by a semi-structured interview (n = 2227). Structural equation modelling suggested psychotic experiences were best represented with a bifactor model including a general psychosis factor and two group factors. We tested for an association between prenatal stressful life events with the psychotic experiences, and examined for potential moderation and mediation by behaviour problems and cognitive ability in childhood., Results: Prenatal stressful life events predicted psychotic experiences indirectly via behaviour problems at child age five years, and this relationship was not confounded by maternal stressful life events at child age five. We found no statistical evidence for an interaction between prenatal stressful life events and behaviour problems or cognitive ability., Conclusion: The measurable effect of prenatal stressful life events on later psychotic experiences in offspring manifested as behaviour problems by age 5. By identifying early abnormal behavioural development as an intermediary, this finding further confirms the role of prenatal stress to later psychotic disorders., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Studies have shown a link between maternal-prenatal mental health and offspring behavior problems. In this paper, we derived longitudinal trajectories of maternal depressive, anxious, and stress symptoms over early life to predict offspring behavior in adolescence., Methods: Participants included 3,925 mother-offspring pairs from the Mater University Study of Pregnancy (MUSP), an Australian-based, prebirth cohort study. Latent class growth analysis with parallel processes was used to identify trajectories of maternal depressive, anxious, and stress symptoms over four measurement periods between the mothers' first clinic visit and 5 years postpregnancy. The estimates from the maternal trajectories were used to fit multivariate logistic regression models and predict internalizing and externalizing behavior at age 14. We adjusted for a wide range of factors, including a number of prenatal confounders, concurrent maternal depressive and anxious symptoms, father's history of mental problems, and maternal life events relationship quality and contact with the new born., Results: Seven maternal trajectories were identified one of which isolated high levels of depressive, anxious, and stress symptoms during pregnancy. After adjustment for confounders, this was the only trajectory that predicted higher internalizing behavior in adolescence. No specific maternal trajectory predicted externalizing problems., Conclusions: We found evidence for a prenatal effect, whereby high levels of maternal depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms in early pregnancy uniquely increased the risk of internalizing behavior problems in adolescence., (© 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Background and Aims: Cannabis use is increasing among women of reproductive age, warranting a greater understanding of the impact of prenatal cannabis use on offspring developmental outcomes. We tested for a potential relationship between prenatal cannabis use disorders (CUD) and offspring educational outcomes across primary and secondary school. Design Data were drawn from the New South Wales (NSW) Perinatal Data Collection, which included all live births in the Australian state of NSW between January 2003 and December 2005. These were linked with the NSW Admitted Patient Data collection for mothers and offspring, and the NSW National Assessment Program—Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN). Setting: New South Wales, Australia. Participants: A total of 189 558 offspring who completed the NAPLAN in grades 3, 5 and 7 (resulting in 568 674 examination periods). Measurements The exposure variable was ICD‐10 cannabis use disorders (CUD = F13.0–F13.9). The study included five outcome variables measured at three time‐points as not meeting the minimum national standards for: (i) numeracy, (ii) reading, (iii) spelling, (iv) writing and (v) grammar and punctuation. Findings In unadjusted analyses, prenatal CUD was associated with an increased risk for not meeting the national minimum standard of all outcomes [odds ratios (OR) ranging from 3.42 (95% confidence interval (CI) = 2.94, 3.99) to 4.17 (95% CI = 3.55, 4.91)], with no evidence for an interaction across time. However, the associations attenuated greatly after exact matching by covariates, with reading and numeracy no longer associated with prenatal CUD, while the increased risk of the other outcomes ranged from OR = 1.31 (95% CI = 1.09, 1.57) to OR = 1.40 (95% CI = 1.17, 1.68). Conclusion: Socio‐economic status appears to confound the association between prenatal cannabis use disorder and poor educational performance in offspring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]