The relationship between maternal adiposity during pregnancy and toddler ADHD symptoms is mediated by gestational
Hanna C Gustafsson1, Geoffrey A Dunn1, Jennifer M Loftis2
1Department of Psychiatry, Oregon Health & Science University, United States; Steven J. Sharp Center for Mental Health Innovation, Oregon Health & Science University, United States.
Insights
Maternal inflammation during pregnancy links higher maternal adiposity to increased child ADHD symptoms. This inflammatory pathway is independent of maternal distress and diet, suggesting potential interventions to reduce ADHD risk.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive Health
- Child Development
- Immunology
Background:
- Maternal adiposity during pregnancy is linked to increased child ADHD risk.
- Mechanisms underlying this association require further investigation.
- Inflammation, distress, and diet are potential confounding factors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if gestational inflammation mediates the link between maternal adiposity and child ADHD symptoms.
- To assess if this association is independent of maternal distress and dietary quality.
Main Methods:
- 302 pregnant women and their children were assessed.
- Maternal adiposity, inflammation (cytokines), distress, and diet were measured in pregnancy.
- Child ADHD symptoms were assessed via parent-report at 24 months postpartum.
Main Results:
- Maternal adiposity strongly predicted gestational inflammation.
- Gestational inflammation statistically mediated the association between maternal adiposity and child ADHD symptoms.
- This mediation effect was independent of maternal distress and dietary quality.
Conclusions:
- Gestational inflammation is a significant mediator linking maternal adiposity to child ADHD symptoms.
- The observed association is robust and independent of key confounding factors.
- Reducing inflammation during pregnancy may mitigate ADHD risk in offspring of mothers with higher adiposity.
Background:
Increased adiposity during pregnancy is associated with increased risk for child attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), though few studies have examined the mechanisms responsible for conveying this risk. The current study tested whether increased inflammation during pregnancy was a statistical mediator of the association between maternal adiposity and child ADHD symptoms during toddlerhood. It also examined whether this association was independent of maternal distress and dietary quality during pregnancy, important confounding factors that have previously been linked with both pregnancy inflammation and child ADHD risk.
Methods:
Participants were N = 302 pregnant women and their children, assessed in the second trimester of pregnancy and at 2 years postpartum. Maternal adiposity was measured using air displacement plethysmography, dietary quality using the Health Eating Index (calculated using 24-hour dietary recalls), and maternal psychological distress via self-reported measures of depression, anxiety, and stress. Gestational inflammation was assessed in maternal blood during the second trimester using a comprehensive panel of cytokines. Child ADHD symptoms were measured using parent-report at 24 months.
Results:
Maternal adiposity emerged as a particularly strong predictor of inflammation during pregnancy. Increased inflammation statistically mediated the association between maternal adiposity and child ADHD symptoms, independent of maternal distress, dietary quality, and other important confounds.
Conclusions:
This study reports evidence that increased gestational inflammation mediates the association between maternal adiposity during pregnancy and child ADHD symptoms. This indirect effect was observed to be independent of a number of prenatal and postnatal confounds, suggesting a robust and unique association. Results suggest that interventions that reduce inflammation during pregnancy may be helpful in reducing child ADHD risk, particularly in the context of increased maternal adiposity.
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