scholarly journals Prenatal maternal stress events and phenotypic outcomes in Autism Spectrum Disorder

2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 1866-1877 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kandice J. Varcin ◽  
Gail A. Alvares ◽  
Mirko Uljarević ◽  
Andrew J. O. Whitehouse
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Maternal Stress ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Prenatal Maternal Stress

scholarly journals Impact of MicroRNAs in Interaction With Environmental Factors on Autism Spectrum Disorder: An Exploratory Pilot Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
LiHua Cui ◽  
WenRan Du ◽  
Ning Xu ◽  
JingYi Dong ◽  
BingJie Xia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Neonatal Jaundice ◽  
Maternal Stress ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Psychiatric History ◽  
Healthy Children ◽  
Threatened Abortion

Background: This study aimed to explore the main effects of environmental risk factors as well as their interaction effects with miRNA on the risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD).Methods: One hundred fifty-nine ASD children (ASD group) and 159 healthy children (control group), aged 2–6 years, were included in this study. ASD diagnoses were based on DSM-5 criteria. The extensive medical and demographic characterization of the two groups were recorded. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) in serum were detected by qRT-PCR.Results: Compared with the control group, the ASD group had significantly higher rates of maternal stress during pregnancy (p < 0.001), maternal drinking during pregnancy (p = 0.006), threatened abortion (p = 0.011), pregnancy-induced hypertension (p = 0.032), gestational diabetes (p = 0.039), maternal anemia during pregnancy (p < 0.001), umbilical cord knot (p < 0.001), neonatal jaundice (p < 0.001), family psychiatric history (p = 0.001), and much lower birth weight (p = 0.012). Furthermore, the ASD group had much lower expression levels of hsa-miR-181b-5p (p < 0.001) and hsa-miR-320a (p < 0.001) and significantly higher levels of hsa-miR-19b-3p (p < 0.001). The interactions of hsa-miR-320a and maternal stress during pregnancy (OR = 39.42, p < 0.001), hsa-miR-19b-3p and neonatal jaundice (OR = 2.44, p < 0.001), and hsa-miR-181b-5p and family psychiatric history (OR = 8.65, p = 0.001) could increase ASD risk.Conclusions: The dysregulation of hsa-miR-181b-5p, hsa-miR-320a, and hsa-miR-19b-3p could interact with environmental factors, such as maternal stress during pregnancy, neonatal jaundice, and family psychiatric history, to impact the risk of ASD.

scholarly journals Support Needs and Coping Strategies as Predictors of Stress Level among Mothers of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sheri R. Kiami ◽  
Shelley Goodgold
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Coping Strategies ◽  
Unmet Needs ◽  
Maternal Stress ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Support Needs ◽  
Family Needs ◽  
Percent Increase

This study examined maternal stress, coping strategies, and support needs among mothers of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). A convenience sample of 70 mothers completed the Parent Stress Index Short Form (PSI-SF), Coping Health Inventory for Parents (CHIP), and Modified Family Needs Questionnaire (FNQ). PSI-SF scores reflected clinically significant levels of stress for 77% of mothers, and mothers identified 62.4% of important needs as unmet. The five most frequently reported important unmet needs were (1) financial support; (2) break from responsibilities; (3) understanding of other after-school program children; (4) rest/sleep; (5) help remaining hopeful about the future. Most coping strategies (81%) were identified as helpful. Additionally, both coping strategies and support needs served as predictors for maternal stress. Maternal stress scores decreased by .402 points for each percent increase in helpful coping strategy, and stress scores increased by .529 points with each percent increase in unmet needs. Given large variation in questionnaire responses across participants and studies, utilization of user-friendly questionnaires, such as the PSI-SF, CHIP, and FNQ, is advocated to determine the evolving important needs unique to each family over the child’s lifetime as well as guide prioritization of care, compilation of resources, and referrals for additional services.

Impact of microRNAs in Interaction with Environmental Factors on Autism Spectrum Disorder: An Exploratory Pilot Study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
LiHua Cui ◽  
WenRan Du ◽  
Ning Xu ◽  
JingYi Dong ◽  
BingJie Xia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Neonatal Jaundice ◽  
Maternal Stress ◽  
Multivariate Logistic Regression Analysis ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Psychiatric History ◽  
Healthy Children

Abstract Background: The aim of this study was to explore the main effects of miRNAs as well as their interaction effects with well-replicated autism spectrum disorder (ASD) environmental risk factors on the risk of ASD.Methods: 159 ASD children (ASD group) and 159 healthy children (control group), aged 2-6 years, were included in this study. ASD diagnoses were based on DSM-5 criteria. The extensive medical and demographic characterization of the two groups were recorded. And microRNAs (miRNAs) in serum were detected by qRT-PCR. Results: Comparing to control group, ASD group had significant higher rates of maternal stress during pregnancy (p<0.001), maternal drinking during pregnancy (p=0.006), threatened abortion (p=0.011), pregnancy-induced hypertension (p=0.032), gestational diabetes (p=0.039), maternal anemia during pregnancy (p<0.001), umbilical cord knot (p<0.001), neonatal jaundice (p<0.001), family psychiatric history (p=0.001), and much lower birth weight (p=0.012). Furthermore, ASD group had much lower expression levels of has-miR-181b-5p (p<0.001) and has-miR-320a (p<0.001), and significant higher levels of has-miR-19b-3p (p<0.001). The multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that the interactions of has-miR-320a and maternal stress during pregnancy (OR=39.42, p<0.001), has-miR-19b-3p and neonatal jaundice (OR=2.44, p<0.001), has-miR-181b-5p and family psychiatric history (OR=8.65, p=0.001) could increase ASD risk. Conclusions:The dysregulation of has-miR-181b-5p,has-miR-320a and has-miR-19b-3p could interact with environmental factors, such as maternal stress during pregnancy, neonatal jaundice and family psychiatric history, to impact the risk of ASD.

scholarly journals Maternal stress in pregnancy and child autism spectrum disorder: evaluating putative causal associations using a genetically informed design

BJPsych Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (S1) ◽  
pp. S22-S22
Author(s):  
Mohamed Essam Gamil Abdelrazek ◽  
Frances Rice
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Birth Weight ◽  
Gestational Age ◽  
Prenatal Stress ◽  
Maternal Stress ◽  
Late Pregnancy ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Maternal Prenatal Stress ◽  
Cross Fostering

AimsPrenatal adversity is hypothesized to increase risk of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) via epigenetic changes. Maternal stress in late pregnancy may alter offspring neurodevelopmental outcomes by disrupting a unique period of rapid neurogenesis. Observational studies reporting an environmentally mediated programming pathway face challenges in drawing causal inferences including passive gene-environment correlation. This project aims to use a quasi-experimental genetically informed design to assess if reported correlations between maternal prenatal stress and offspring ASD traits were due to maternally inherited factors or consistent with a potentially causal prenatal exposure effect. No previous cross-fostering studies have assessed the effects of prenatal stress on childhood ASD.MethodThis study used an in-vitro fertilization cross-fostering sample with pregnant mothers related (n = 365) or unrelated (n = 111) to their offspring (mean age = 9.84 years). Prenatal stress was assessed using a subjective Likert scale during pregnancy. Questionnaires examined maternally rated offspring ASD traits using the Social and Communication Disorders Checklist. Birth weight and gestational age from medical records were used as comparison outcomes to validate the measure of stress as evidence suggests they are influenced by environmental factors. Correlations from multiple regression models were examined in relation to magnitude of effect size as well as significance. This is partly due to small sample size and that cross-fostering designs rely on comparing magnitudes of associations between related and unrelated groups. An interaction term was used to test the difference in the strength of association between related and unrelated mother-child groups.ResultSubjective assessment of prenatal maternal stress showed construct validity as it was associated with low birth weight (β = –0.297, p = 0.005) and reduced gestational age (β= –0.320, p = 0.001). Subjective late pregnancy stress was associated with increased offspring ASD traits in the whole sample (β = 0.089, p = 0.073) and in the related (β=0.045, p = 0.424) and unrelated mother-child (β=0.233, p = 0.029) subgroups. Non-significant interaction terms demonstrated that the mechanisms underlying the association between maternal stress and ASD and birth outcomes are likely to be similar and environmentally driven in the different conception groups.ConclusionFindings demonstrate the utility of genetically informed designs in disentangling inherited factors from environmental influences in the study of prenatal risk factors. Correlations between maternal prenatal stress and offspring ASD being present in both related and unrelated mother-child groups indicate an environmental link that is consistent with a potential causal effect. Associations detected are of imperative use for clinicians and policymakers, as they can guide the implementation of early psychosocial care for families at high liability.

Development of Neural Structure and Function in Autism Spectrum Disorder: Potential Implications for Learning Language

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 1783-1797
Author(s):  
Kelly L. Coburn ◽  
Diane L. Williams
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Language Development ◽  
Diffusion Tensor ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Language Intervention ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Autistic Children ◽  
Neural Structure ◽  
Complex Information ◽  
And Function

Purpose Neurodevelopmental processes that begin during gestation and continue throughout childhood typically support language development. Understanding these processes can help us to understand the disruptions to language that occur in neurodevelopmental conditions, such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Method For this tutorial, we conducted a focused literature review on typical postnatal brain development and structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging, diffusion tensor imaging, magnetoencephalography, and electroencephalography studies of the neurodevelopmental differences that occur in ASD. We then integrated this knowledge with the literature on evidence-based speech-language intervention practices for autistic children. Results In ASD, structural differences include altered patterns of cortical growth and myelination. Functional differences occur at all brain levels, from lateralization of cortical functions to the rhythmic activations of single neurons. Neuronal oscillations, in particular, could help explain disrupted language development by elucidating the timing differences that contribute to altered functional connectivity, complex information processing, and speech parsing. Findings related to implicit statistical learning, explicit task learning, multisensory integration, and reinforcement in ASD are also discussed. Conclusions Consideration of the neural differences in autistic children provides additional scientific support for current recommended language intervention practices. Recommendations consistent with these neurological findings include the use of short, simple utterances; repetition of syntactic structures using varied vocabulary; pause time; visual supports; and individualized sensory modifications.

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