All posts tagged: prenatal

Prenatal cannabis exposure linked to early childhood behavioral and cognitive challenges

Prenatal cannabis exposure linked to early childhood behavioral and cognitive challenges

Published by José

Cannabis use during pregnancy is on the rise, often viewed as a natural remedy for pregnancy-related symptoms. However, a study published in JAMA Pediatrics reveals potential developmental risks. Children exposed to cannabis in utero scored lower on attention and planning tasks and showed increased aggression during observational assessments, suggesting prenatal exposure may disrupt critical areas of cognitive and behavioral development. Cannabis use among pregnant individuals in the United States has doubled over the past two decades, rising from 3.4% in 2002 to 7.2% in 2021. This increase is partly fueled by perceptions of cannabis as a safe, natural remedy for pregnancy-related issues like nausea and mood disorders. Despite recommendations from major medical organizations to avoid cannabis during pregnancy, many clinicians struggle to provide consistent guidance due to limited evidence on long-term effects. Previous studies have linked prenatal cannabis exposure to deficits in executive function—critical cognitive processes such as attention, memory, and problem-solving—as well as behavioral challenges like aggression. However, much of the existing research relies on data from cohorts studied decades ago or uses caregiver-reported …

Scientists link small changes in facial and brain structure to low/moderate prenatal alcohol exposure

Scientists link small changes in facial and brain structure to low/moderate prenatal alcohol exposure

Published by José

Recent scientific studies reveal that even low levels of alcohol consumption during pregnancy might subtly alter fetal craniofacial development and specific brain structures, although these changes do not appear to significantly impact broader socio-cognitive development in early childhood. These findings offer a deeper understanding of the potential risks associated with prenatal alcohol exposure. Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) encompasses a range of effects that can occur in an individual whose mother drank alcohol during pregnancy. These effects include physical, behavioral, and learning problems. While the severe impacts of high levels of prenatal alcohol exposure are well-documented, the effects of low to moderate consumption are less clear. This ambiguity has led to varying health advice and personal decisions about drinking during pregnancy. Historically, studies have struggled with inconsistent measurement of alcohol intake and confounding social and environmental factors, making it difficult to draw definitive conclusions about the safety of minimal alcohol use in pregnancy. The series of studies referenced here aims to fill these gaps by employing detailed, consistent methods to evaluate the implications of low …

Prenatal caffeine exposure and high-fat diet heighten risk of autism-like behaviors in rodents

Prenatal caffeine exposure and high-fat diet heighten risk of autism-like behaviors in rodents

Published by José

Exposure to caffeine during pregnancy, combined with a high-fat diet after birth, significantly increases the risk of autism-like behaviors in rodents, according to new research published in Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety. This increased risk is related to changes in gut bacteria and increased levels of a specific immune molecule, IL-17A. The findings shed light on the relationships between diet, prenatal environmental exposures, and neurodevelopmental disorders. The motivation behind this new study stems from a growing concern over the effects of prenatal caffeine exposure and high-fat diets on the developing brain. Previous research had already established a link between prenatal caffeine exposure and reduced fetal growth, with emerging evidence suggesting an increased risk of neurodevelopmental disorders like autism spectrum disorder (ASD). ASD is a complex developmental condition that involves persistent challenges in social interaction, speech and nonverbal communication, along with restricted and repetitive behaviors. Given the widespread consumption of caffeine and the prevalence of high-fat diets, understanding these potential risk factors is crucial for developing strategies to prevent ASD. “Most autism research focuses on genetic factors, …

Prenatal cannabis exposure linked to heightened risk of ADHD symptoms

Prenatal cannabis exposure linked to heightened risk of ADHD symptoms

Published by José

A recent meta-analytic study has explored the connection between maternal cannabis use during pregnancy and the occurrence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms in their children. The researchers found that children whose mothers used cannabis during pregnancy were more likely to have symptoms of ADHD compared to children whose mothers were not using cannabis during pregnancy. The findings were published in the Journal of Psychiatric Research. Cannabis sativa is a plant that contains psychoactive compounds, primarily tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). It can be consumed in various forms, including smoking dried leaves and flowers, ingesting it in edibles like cookies or candies, using oils or tinctures, or vaporizing. Recreationally, cannabis is used for its relaxing and euphoric effects, while medicinally, it is used to alleviate symptoms such as chronic pain, anxiety, and nausea. The legal status of cannabis varies widely across different regions, with some areas allowing its use for medical and/or recreational purposes, while others prohibit it entirely. Recent research findings indicate that the use of cannabis among …

Prenatal infections linked to long-term child psychiatric symptoms

Prenatal infections linked to long-term child psychiatric symptoms

Published by José

New research provides evidence of a significant association between infections during pregnancy and an increased risk of psychiatric symptoms in children, persisting from early childhood to adolescence. This large-scale, longitudinal study, published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, suggests that prenatal exposure to common infections could have lasting impacts on a child’s mental health. The drive to understand the early origins of psychiatric disorders has led scientists to explore the prenatal environment’s role in child development. The “developmental origins of health and disease” hypothesis suggests that environmental factors during pregnancy can have long-term health consequences. Given the widespread occurrence of infections during pregnancy and their potential to affect the fetus, researchers sought to investigate whether these prenatal infections correlate with psychiatric symptoms in children as they grow. “Our interest in this topic stems from the growing body of research pointing to a link between prenatal exposure to infections and increased psychiatric risk in offspring,” said study author Charlotte A. M. Cecil, an associate professor of biological psychopathology at the Erasmus Medical Center and …

A hidden contributor to prenatal distress in expectant mothers

A hidden contributor to prenatal distress in expectant mothers

Published by José

New research provides evidence that climate change anxiety is associated with mental health issues in expectant mothers. The study, integrating both quantitative and qualitative methodologies, reveals how concerns over the future impacts of climate change weigh heavily on pregnant women, contributing to increased levels of prenatal worry and depression. The findings have been published in the Journal of Anxiety Disorders. Historically, research on climate change’s health impacts predominantly concentrated on physical health. However, a growing body of evidence is beginning to highlight the mental health ramifications. This shift in focus stems from an increasing awareness of the psychological strain caused by climate-related events. The team of scientists behind this study sought to better understand the psychological phenomena known as climate change anxiety. This term describes the anticipatory anxiety and existential fear arising from the perceived threat of climate change, often referred to as “the chronic fear of environmental doom.” “I got interested in this topic after seeing all of the media reports of people who had elected not to have children because of their concerns …

New Prenatal Test Could Reveal Conditions Earlier

New Prenatal Test Could Reveal Conditions Earlier

Published by skeptic

When most people think of DNA testing, they imagine dramatic courtroom scenes from TV shows in which a crime’s perpetrator is revealed. We also now regularly hear stories of people using DNA tests to answer questions about their ancestry, sometimes discovering blood relatives they didn’t know they had. In the context of pregnancy, the role of DNA testing is to uncover genetic disease in a foetus. (An additional bonus for parents is learning the baby’s sex, which many are eager to know.) Unfortunately, genetic testing in pregnancy often isn’t as conclusive or uncomplicated as the DNA testing police use to determine whether someone was at the scene of a crime. A recent study shows that more extensive testing can be done via a maternal blood test earlier in pregnancy than the tests we currently have access to. This means that expectant parents will soon be able to know a lot more about their baby’s genome early on, potentially identifying many genetic diseases during the first trimester of pregnancy. However, the results of these tests aren’t …

BioticsAI wants to improve prenatal ultrasound scans with AI

BioticsAI wants to improve prenatal ultrasound scans with AI

Published by skeptic

Meet BioticsAI, a startup that has built an AI-based platform that plugs into an ultrasound machine to prevent fetal malformation misdiagnosis. BioticsAI has been quietly working on its solution for the past two years and is now unveiling its product onstage at TechCrunch Disrupt as part of the Startup Battlefield. “BioticsAI processes all of the images and videos captured during the screening to localize fetus malformations, validate the quality and completeness of the screening and then extract all the information to automatically generate reports,” co-founder and CEO Robhy Bustami told me before the TechCrunch event. Bustami has some personal knowledge of the field, as his mother is an OB/GYN. He co-founded the startup with Salman Khan, Chaskin Saroff and Dr. Hisham Elgammal. But first, let’s talk about the problem BioticsAI is trying to solve. In many countries or rural areas, there’s a shortage of obstetrics professionals. While the World Health Organization has designed a thorough process for prenatal ultrasound scans, it can be easy to miss a fetal malformation if you’re short on time and …