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Published on: March 25, 2016
Maternal bioactive lipids during pregnancy and early childhood neurodevelopment and behavior
Seonyoung Park1, Megan L Woodbury2, Sung Kyun Park1,3
1Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
Insights
Maternal bioactive lipid levels during pregnancy are linked to child neurodevelopmental and behavioral outcomes. These associations are influenced by child sex and preterm birth, highlighting the need for further research.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive biology
- Developmental psychology
- Nutritional science
Background:
- Maternal immune activation during pregnancy is associated with child neurodevelopmental problems (NDP) and emotional/behavioral problems (EBP).
- Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and their oxidized metabolites (oxylipins) are bioactive lipids that modulate immune responses, inflammation, and oxidative stress.
- The specific roles of maternal PUFAs and oxylipins in child NDP and EBP are not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the associations between maternal bioactive lipid levels during pregnancy and child neurodevelopmental and emotional/behavioral outcomes.
- To explore potential effect modification by child sex and preterm birth status.
Main Methods:
- A cohort study of 259 mother-child pairs from the PROTECT birth cohort in Puerto Rico.
- Maternal plasma samples collected at 26 weeks' gestation were analyzed for bioactive lipid levels using high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.
- Child neurodevelopment (Battelle Developmental Index, 2nd edition) and emotional/behavioral problems (Child Behavioral Checklist) were assessed at ages 1-3 years.
Main Results:
- Altered maternal bioactive lipid concentrations were associated with poorer child neurodevelopmental and emotional/behavioral outcomes at ages 1-3 years.
- These associations were modified by child sex and preterm birth status.
- Associations were attenuated when analyses were restricted to term births, suggesting a potential mediating role of preterm birth.
Conclusions:
- Maternal bioactive lipid profiles during pregnancy are associated with early childhood neurodevelopment and behavior.
- Child sex and preterm birth status are important factors modifying these associations.
- Further research is needed to understand the mechanisms linking maternal bioactive lipids to child neurodevelopment and behavior.
Background:
Maternal immune activation, including inflammation and oxidative stress during pregnancy, has been linked to child neurodevelopmental problems (NDP) and emotional and behavioral problems (EBP). Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and their oxidized metabolites (oxylipins) are important bioactive lipids that modulate immune responses, inflammation, and oxidative stress. However, their roles in child NDP and EBP remain unclear.
Methods:
This study included 259 mother-child pairs from the PROTECT birth cohort in Puerto Rico. Maternal plasma samples collected around 26 weeks' gestation were analyzed for bioactive lipid levels using high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Child NDP and EBP were assessed at ages 1-3 using the Battelle Developmental Index, 2nd edition (BDI-2) and the Child Behavioral Checklist for ages 1.5-5 (CBCL/1.5-5). We evaluated associations between maternal bioactive lipid levels and child NDP or EBP outcomes and conducted sex-stratified analyses to examine effect modification by child sex. As a sensitivity analysis, we restricted analyses to term births to evaluate the associations independent of potential effects of preterm birth.
Results:
Altered maternal bioactive lipid concentrations were associated with poorer neurodevelopmental and emotional/behavioral outcomes in children aged 1-3 years. The associations were modified by child sex and preterm birth status.
Conclusion:
These findings underscore the need for further research into bioactive-lipid-related maternal mechanisms that may influence early childhood neurodevelopment and behavior.
Impact:
Previous studies suggest potential roles of maternal PUFAs and oxylipins during pregnancy on child NDP and EBP, as these bioactive lipids play crucial roles in immune response, inflammation, and oxidative stress. In this cohort study, we found several associations between maternal bioactive lipid levels during pregnancy and child neurodevelopment and behavior from 1 to 3 years of age. The associations were attenuated after excluding preterm children, suggesting a potential mediating role of preterm birth. Additionally, distinct patterns emerged based on both the inflammatory properties of the bioactive lipids and child sex.
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