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Association between prenatal antimicrobial use and offspring attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
Jennifer K Straughen1, Alexandra R Sitarik1, Ganesa Wegienka1
1Department of Public Health Sciences, Henry Ford Health, Detroit, Michigan, United States of America.
Plos One
|May 3, 2023
Summary
Maternal use of frequent antibiotics or any antifungals during pregnancy was linked to a higher risk of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children by age 10.
Area of Science:
- Neurodevelopmental disorders
- Microbiome research
- Environmental health
Background:
- Gut-brain axis plays a role in neurodevelopment.
- Limited research exists on the link between prenatal antimicrobial exposure and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between maternal use of antimicrobials during pregnancy and ADHD in offspring at 10 years of age.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from a diverse birth cohort study.
- Extracted maternal antimicrobial use from medical records.
- Assessed ADHD diagnoses via parental report at age 10.
- Employed Poisson regression to calculate risk ratios and evaluated effect modification.
Main Results:
- No overall association between prenatal antibiotic exposure and ADHD.
- Increased ADHD risk observed with 3+ courses of prenatal antibiotics (RR=1.58).
- Prenatal antifungal exposure associated with higher ADHD risk (RR=1.60).
- Prenatal antifungal use showed increased ADHD risk in males (RR=1.82) but not females.
Conclusions:
- Maternal prenatal antifungal use and frequent antibiotic use are associated with increased ADHD risk in offspring.
- Highlights the significance of the prenatal environment in neurodevelopment.
- Underscores the need for judicious antimicrobial use during pregnancy.
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