Abstract: Xinhua News Agency, Washington, May 10 (Xinhua) A study published in the new issue of the American Journal of Neuroscience found that the immune response of pregnant women due to infection, stress, disease or allergies during the third trimester of pregnancy can affect the fetus and even the baby. Brain development period. Xinhua News Agency, Washington, April 1 (Xinhua) A study published in the new issue of the American Journal of Neuroscience found that the immune response of pregnant women due to infection, stress, disease or allergies in the third trimester of pregnancy can affect the brain of the fetus and even the baby. develop.
A research team led by Bradley Peterson at Children\’s Hospital Los Angeles conducted blood tests and fetal heart rate monitoring on women between 7 and 9 months pregnant. They then conducted brain scans of the newborns after the mothers gave birth and conducted cognitive behavioral assessments when the children were 14 months old.
It was found that when the immune system is activated, levels of two proteins, IL-6 and CRP, increase in blood samples from pregnant women. The MRI scans also found significant changes in signal connectivity in specific brain regions during the first weeks of life, which were related to maternal IL-6 and CRP levels. These brain regions are called salience networks, and their malfunction has been linked to psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorder.
In addition, the researchers used fetal heart rate as an indicator of nervous system development and found that CRP levels were related to changes in fetal heart rate, indicating that the maternal immune response affects fetal brain development.
The study also found that maternal immune responses not only affect fetal and newborn brain development but also continue into early childhood. The researchers also showed significant differences in scores among 14-month-olds on measures of mobility, language development and behavioral assessments.
\”This study shows that maternal immune responses are associated with short- and long-term changes in the infant\’s brain and could help identify ways to avoid these effects,\” Peterson said.
Reporter Zhou Zhou