Intrauterine life and infancy are critically sensitive periods in brain development. The role of preventable prenatal and neonatal factors on the risk of psychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders is unclear. Maternal characteristics influence risks of pregnancy, delivery, and neonatal complications which may in turn affect neurodevelopmental processes. Nevertheless, a mechanistic sequence connecting these events has not been described. Using linkage of nation-wide registries, we propose to conduct a population-based cohort study of 3.4 million singleton children born 1983-2016 in Sweden, to examine the associations of maternal factors as well as pregnancy, delivery, and neonatal complications with the risks of psychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders (depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, suicide, schizophrenia, anorexia nervosa, autism, intellectual disability, epilepsy, and cerebral palsy). We will pursue complementary analytic approaches to strengthen causal inference including studies of exposure change between pregnancies, matched sibling case-control studies, full mother-sibling pairs case-control studies, and mediation analyses. The Swedish nation-wide registries constitute the largest and most complete data source worldwide to address these questions.

Public Health Relevance

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the associations of maternal factors and pregnancy, delivery, and neonatal complications with the risk of psychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders in the offspring through adolescence and young adulthood using data from ?3.4 million live singleton births occurring between 1983 and 2016 in Sweden.. The study will elucidate the pathways linking prenatal and neonatal factors with these highly disabling outcomes and could provide a basis for interventions in pregnancy aimed at decreasing the burden of psychiatric and neurodevelopmental disease.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Type
Exploratory/Developmental Grants (R21)
Project #
1R21MH120824-01A1
Application #
9742606
Study Section
Behavioral Genetics and Epidemiology Study Section (BGES)
Program Officer
Dutka, Tara
Project Start
2019-03-05
Project End
2021-01-31
Budget Start
2019-03-05
Budget End
2020-01-31
Support Year
1
Fiscal Year
2019
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Michigan Ann Arbor
Department
Public Health & Prev Medicine
Type
Schools of Public Health
DUNS #
073133571
City
Ann Arbor
State
MI
Country
United States
Zip Code
48109