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Updated: Mar 16, 2026

Induction of Maternal Immune Activation in Mice at Mid-gestation Stage with Viral Mimic PolyI:C
Published on: March 25, 2016
Prenatal Inflammation, Infections and Mental Disorders
Eerika Flinkkilä1, Anna Keski-Rahkonen, Mauri Marttunen
1Clinicum, Department of Public Health, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
Prenatal exposure to maternal infections, like influenza, may increase offspring risk for schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorders. Common infection factors, such as fever and inflammation, appear more critical than the specific pathogen.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Immunology
- Psychiatry
Background:
- Maternal infections during pregnancy are a potential risk factor for offspring mental health.
- Understanding the link between prenatal immune responses and neurodevelopmental disorders is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review scientific evidence on prenatal exposure to maternal infection and immune response.
- To assess the impact on offspring risk for schizophrenia, autism, ADHD, anorexia nervosa, and mood disorders.
Main Methods:
- Systematic literature search of PubMed and Ovid MEDLINE (R) databases.
- Keywords included 'prenatal exposure', 'infection', 'inflammation', and 'mental disorders'.
- Manual search and reference list review of included articles.
Main Results:
- Prenatal exposure to maternal influenza is linked to increased schizophrenia risk, though findings vary.
- Maternal fever and elevated cytokines during pregnancy correlate with higher autism spectrum disorder risk in offspring.
- No consistent associations found between prenatal infection and other mental disorders.
Conclusions:
- Common infection-related factors (fever, cytokines) may increase mental disorder risk, not just the pathogen.
- Genetic predisposition likely interacts with prenatal exposures.
- Future research should utilize genetically sensitive study designs to clarify these relationships.
More Related Videos
09:09Generating a Reproducible Model of Mid-Gestational Maternal Immune Activation using PolyI:C to Study Susceptibility and Resilience in Offspring
Published on: August 17, 2022
08:50A Murine Model of Fetal Exposure to Maternal Inflammation to Study the Effects of Acute Chorioamnionitis on Newborn Intestinal Development
Published on: June 24, 2020
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