Thursday 07 June 2018

New Research our Sphere Programme PhD candidate, Gillian Maher, has been published in JAMA Psychiatry.

The work is exploring the association between hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and other neurodevelopmental disorders in offspring.

Child writingExposure to hypertensive disorders of pregnancy is associated with a small increase in the odds

Examining what the pooled estimates are from existing literature exploring the association between hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and neurodevelopmental disorders in offspring, the systematic review and meta-analysis of 61 studies suggested that exposure to hypertensive disorders of pregnancy is associated with a small yet statistically significant increase in the odds of autism spectrum disorder and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in offspring compared with no exposure.

Gillian and the team recommend increased developmental screening of infants who have been exposed to hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, as this could allow for early intervention, which in turn may improve neurodevelopmental outcome.

 

FULL PAPER HERE: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/fullarticle/2681643