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Updated: Jul 14, 2025

Generating a Reproducible Model of Mid-Gestational Maternal Immune Activation using PolyI:C to Study Susceptibility and Resilience in Offspring
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Generating a Reproducible Model of Mid-Gestational Maternal Immune Activation using PolyI:C to Study Susceptibility and Resilience in Offspring

Published on: August 17, 2022

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The association between maternal infection and intellectual disability in children: A systematic review and

Mahroo Rezaeinejad1, Seyed Mohammad Riahi2, Kimia Behzad Moghadam3

  • 1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Imam Khomeini Hospital Complex, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

Plos One
|October 5, 2023
PubMed

Insights

Maternal infections during pregnancy are linked to a higher risk of intellectual disability (ID) in children. This systematic review confirms this association across various study types, highlighting the need for further research.

Area of Science:

  • Perinatal epidemiology
  • Neurodevelopmental disorders
  • Public health

Background:

  • Inconsistent evidence exists regarding the link between maternal infections during pregnancy and the risk of intellectual disability (ID) in children.
  • This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to clarify this association.
  • Understanding this relationship is crucial for maternal and child health strategies.

Approach:

  • A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted following MOOSE and PRISMA guidelines.
  • Searched Medline/PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Scopus databases up to March 15, 2023.
  • Included eight studies with over 1.3 million participants, analyzing both ID-based and infection-based study designs.

Key Points:

  • Maternal infection during pregnancy was significantly associated with an increased risk of ID in children (OR, 1.33; 95% CI, 1.21-1.46).
  • This association remained significant in subgroup analyses for both ID-based and infection-based studies.
  • The link was also evident when diagnoses were based on ICD codes.

Conclusions:

  • Maternal infection during pregnancy is associated with an elevated risk of intellectual disability in offspring.
  • The findings are consistent across different study designs and diagnostic criteria.
  • Further longitudinal research is recommended to establish causality and elucidate underlying mechanisms.
Abstract

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