TY - JOUR
T1 - Maternal multiple sclerosis is not a risk factor for neurodevelopmental disorders in offspring
AU - Carta, Alessandra
AU - Zarbo, Ignazio R.
AU - Scoppola, Chiara
AU - Pisuttu, Giulia
AU - Conti, Marta
AU - Melis, Maria C.
AU - Martino, Federica De
AU - Serra, Antonella
AU - Biancu, Maria A.
AU - Guerini, Franca R.
AU - Bazzardi, Riccardo
AU - Sotgiu, Stefano
N1 - Funding Information:
The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This work was supported by Ricerca Corrente 2018 and Ricerca Finalizzata 2013: RF-2013-02358607, Italian Ministry of Health.
Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2021.
PY - 2021
Y1 - 2021
N2 - Background: Childhood neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs), including specific learning disorders (SLD), attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD), are pathogenically linked to familial autoimmunity and maternal immune-mediated diseases during pregnancy. Objective: We studied maternal MS as a potential risk factor for NDDs occurrence in offspring. Methods: MS and control mothers were subjected to questionnaires to ascertain NDD diagnosis in their progeny and the occurrence of both autoimmune and neurodevelopment disorders in their families. Suspected NDD cases were evaluated to confirm or rule out the diagnosis. Results: Of the 322 MS women, 206 (64%) have 361 children; of these, 27 (7.5%) were diagnosed with NDD (11% ADHD; 22% ASD; 67% SLD). NDD-risk in offspring was associated to family history of autoimmunity and to NDDs both in MS and non-MS mother families (r = 0.75; p = 0.005) whereas it was not associated to maternal MS. Conclusions: For the first time, we demonstrate that maternal MS does not predispose children to higher risk for NDD. On a mechanistic view, we suggest that the intrinsic organ-specific nature of MS does not impair the mother–child cross-talk in decidua nor does it influence fetal neurodevelopment.
AB - Background: Childhood neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs), including specific learning disorders (SLD), attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD), are pathogenically linked to familial autoimmunity and maternal immune-mediated diseases during pregnancy. Objective: We studied maternal MS as a potential risk factor for NDDs occurrence in offspring. Methods: MS and control mothers were subjected to questionnaires to ascertain NDD diagnosis in their progeny and the occurrence of both autoimmune and neurodevelopment disorders in their families. Suspected NDD cases were evaluated to confirm or rule out the diagnosis. Results: Of the 322 MS women, 206 (64%) have 361 children; of these, 27 (7.5%) were diagnosed with NDD (11% ADHD; 22% ASD; 67% SLD). NDD-risk in offspring was associated to family history of autoimmunity and to NDDs both in MS and non-MS mother families (r = 0.75; p = 0.005) whereas it was not associated to maternal MS. Conclusions: For the first time, we demonstrate that maternal MS does not predispose children to higher risk for NDD. On a mechanistic view, we suggest that the intrinsic organ-specific nature of MS does not impair the mother–child cross-talk in decidua nor does it influence fetal neurodevelopment.
KW - attention deficit hyperactivity/impulsivity disorder
KW - autism spectrum disorder
KW - multiple sclerosis
KW - Neurodevelopmental disorders
KW - specific learning disorders
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U2 - 10.1177/20552173211017301
DO - 10.1177/20552173211017301
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85107004782
VL - 7
JO - Multiple Sclerosis Journal - Experimental, Translational and Clinical
JF - Multiple Sclerosis Journal - Experimental, Translational and Clinical
SN - 2055-2173
IS - 2
ER -