Postdoc
Tanja Gram Petersen
Research unit OPEN, Department of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark
| Project management | ||
| Project status | Open | |
| Data collection dates | ||
| Start | 01.10.2024 | |
| End | 31.12.2028 | |
Maternal trauma and injuries during pregnancy and the risk of offspring neurodevelopmental disorders
Short summary
Accidents during pregnancy can cause severe trauma in the mother which may affect long-term health of the child. Emerging evidence indicates that maternal trauma may be a risk factor for neurodevelopmental disorders. We intend to enhance this evidence by conducting a population-based cohort study. We will study the association between maternal trauma and neurodevelopmental outcomes, including cerebral palsy (CP), autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
Rationale
Trauma can alter systemic inflammation, hormones, and gut health of the mother and affect the development of fetus through placenta. Several lines of evidence demonstrated that the effects of environmental impact such as prenatal stress and maternal immune dysregulation may affect the following generation and cause neuropsychiatric disorders including depression, anxiety, autism and posttraumatic stress disorder. An epidemiological study found that pregnant mothers involved in a motor vehicle collision with a severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) were 38% more likely to have children with CP if born premature. Evidence has indicated that cortisol, which is normally released in response to stress, could be increased following severe TBI and this increase was associated with cognitive impairments. Moreover, prenatal stress has been reported to induce diminished fetus development, including the central nervous system and many other systems. A study from Odense Child Cohort showed that high cortisol level during pregnancy elevate the risk of autism (autism spectrum disorders traits). Since in the early phase during the pregnancy cortisol is mainly supplied from the mother, the elevated level cortisol would certainly affect the development of fetus both mentally and physically. Although attention has been raised concerning the association between maternal trauma and various neurological outcomes in the offspring, there is currently limited data available in the literature on this topic. Therefore, it is crucial to expand the evidence bank. For that reason, we will conduct a large and comprehensive cohort study with the purpose to assess the incidence of maternal trauma caused by accidents or violence during pregnancy and determine its association with neurodevelopmental disorders in the child.
Description of the cohort
The cohort for this study consists of all children born in Denmark in the years 1980 to 2022 and both their mothers and fathers.
Data and biological material
This study utilizes data from national registries in Denmark including data from The Danish Medical Birth Register (MFR), The Danish Civil Registration System (CPR), The National Patient Register (LPR), The Register of Medicinal Product Statistics (LMDB), The Danish Psychiatric Central Research Register (DPCF), socioeconomic registers from Statistics Denmark, the National Cerebral Palsy Register, and the Danish cerebral palsy follow-up program (CPOP).
Collaborating researchers and departments
Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, associate professor, Mengliang Zhang