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Kurth L, O'Shea TM, Burd I, Dunlop AL, Croen L, Wilkening G, Hsu TJ, Ehrhardt S, Palanisamy A, McGrath M, Churchill ML, Weinberger D, Grados M, Dabelea D. Intrapartum exposure to synthetic oxytocin, maternal BMI, and neurodevelopmental outcomes in children within the ECHO consortium. J Neurodev Disord 2024; 16:26. [PMID: 38796448 PMCID: PMC11128127 DOI: 10.1186/s11689-024-09540-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2023] [Accepted: 04/27/2024] [Indexed: 05/28/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Synthetic oxytocin (sOT) is frequently administered during parturition. Studies have raised concerns that fetal exposure to sOT may be associated with altered brain development and risk of neurodevelopmental disorders. In a large and diverse sample of children with data about intrapartum sOT exposure and subsequent diagnoses of two prevalent neurodevelopmental disorders, i.e., attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD), we tested the following hypotheses: (1) Intrapartum sOT exposure is associated with increased odds of child ADHD or ASD; (2) associations differ across sex; (3) associations between intrapartum sOT exposure and ADHD or ASD are accentuated in offspring of mothers with pre-pregnancy obesity. METHODS The study sample comprised 12,503 participants from 44 cohort sites included in the Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) consortium. Mixed-effects logistic regression analyses were used to estimate the association between intrapartum sOT exposure and offspring ADHD or ASD (in separate models). Maternal obesity (pre-pregnancy BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2) and child sex were evaluated for effect modification. RESULTS Intrapartum sOT exposure was present in 48% of participants. sOT exposure was not associated with increased odds of ASD (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 0.86; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.71-1.03) or ADHD (aOR 0.89; 95% CI, 0.76-1.04). Associations did not differ by child sex. Among mothers with pre-pregnancy obesity, sOT exposure was associated with lower odds of offspring ADHD (aOR 0.72; 95% CI, 0.55-0.96). No association was found among mothers without obesity (aOR 0.97; 95% CI, 0.80-1.18). CONCLUSIONS In a large, diverse sample, we found no evidence of an association between intrapartum exposure to sOT and odds of ADHD or ASD in either male or female offspring. Contrary to our hypothesis, among mothers with pre-pregnancy obesity, sOT exposure was associated with lower odds of child ADHD diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Kurth
- Department of Pediatrics, Developmental Section, University of Colorado School of Medicine, 13123 E. 16th Ave. B065, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA.
| | - T Michael O'Shea
- Department of Pediatrics, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Irina Burd
- Departments of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Anne L Dunlop
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Lisa Croen
- Kaiser Permanente Division of Research, Northern California, Oakland, CA, USA
| | - Greta Wilkening
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Ting-Ju Hsu
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Stephan Ehrhardt
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Arvind Palanisamy
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Monica McGrath
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Marie L Churchill
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Daniel Weinberger
- Departments of Psychiatry, Neurology, Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- The Lieber institute for Brain Development, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Marco Grados
- Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Dana Dabelea
- Lifecourse Epidemiology of Adiposity and Diabetes (LEAD) Center, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
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Giri T, Maloney SE, Giri S, Goo YA, Song JH, Son M, Tycksen E, Conyers SB, Bice A, Ge X, Garbow JR, Quirk JD, Bauer AQ, Palanisamy A. Oxytocin-induced birth causes sex-specific behavioral and brain connectivity changes in developing rat offspring. iScience 2024; 27:108960. [PMID: 38327784 PMCID: PMC10847747 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.108960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2023] [Revised: 11/23/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Despite six decades of the use of exogenous oxytocin for management of labor, little is known about its effects on the developing brain. Motivated by controversial reports suggesting a link between oxytocin use during labor and autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), we employed our recently validated rat model for labor induction with oxytocin to address this important concern. Using a combination of molecular biological, behavioral, and neuroimaging assays, we show that induced birth with oxytocin leads to sex-specific disruption of oxytocinergic signaling in the developing brain, decreased communicative ability of pups, reduced empathy-like behaviors especially in male offspring, and widespread sex-dependent changes in functional cortical connectivity. Contrary to our hypothesis, social behavior, typically impaired in ASDs, was largely preserved. Collectively, our foundational studies provide nuanced insights into the neurodevelopmental impact of birth induction with oxytocin and set the stage for mechanistic investigations in animal models and prospective longitudinal clinical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tusar Giri
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Susan E. Maloney
- Department of Psychiatry, Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Saswat Giri
- Graduate Student, School of Public Health and Social Justice, St. Louis University, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Young Ah Goo
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
- Mass Spectrometry Technology Access Center (MTAC), McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Jong Hee Song
- Mass Spectrometry Technology Access Center (MTAC), McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Minsoo Son
- Mass Spectrometry Technology Access Center (MTAC), McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Eric Tycksen
- Genome Technology Access Center (GTAC), McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Sara B. Conyers
- Department of Psychiatry, Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Annie Bice
- Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Xia Ge
- Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Joel R. Garbow
- Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - James D. Quirk
- Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Adam Q. Bauer
- Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Arvind Palanisamy
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
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Hegvik TA, Klungsøyr K, Kuja-Halkola R, Remes H, Haavik J, D'Onofrio BM, Metsä-Simola N, Engeland A, Fazel S, Lichtenstein P, Martikainen P, Larsson H, Sariaslan A. Labor epidural analgesia and subsequent risk of offspring autism spectrum disorder and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: a cross-national cohort study of 4.5 million individuals and their siblings. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2023; 228:233.e1-233.e12. [PMID: 35973476 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajog.2022.08.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2022] [Revised: 07/31/2022] [Accepted: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND A recent study has suggested that labor epidural analgesia may be associated with increased rates of offspring autism spectrum disorder. Subsequent replication attempts have lacked sufficient power to confidently exclude the possibility of a small effect, and the causal nature of this association remains unknown. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to investigate the extent to which exposure to labor epidural analgesia is associated with offspring autism spectrum disorder and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder following adjustments for unmeasured familial confounding. STUDY DESIGN We identified 4,498,462 singletons and their parents using the Medical Birth Registers in Finland (cohorts born from 1987-2005), Norway (1999-2015), and Sweden (1987-2011) linked with population and patient registries. These cohorts were followed from birth until they either had the outcomes of interest, emigrated, died, or reached the end of the follow-up (at mean ages 13.6-16.8 years), whichever occurred first. Cox regression models were used to estimate country-specific associations between labor epidural analgesia recorded at birth and outcomes (eg, at least 1 secondary care diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder or at least 1 dispensed prescription of medication used for the treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder). The models were adjusted for sex, birth year, birth order, and unmeasured familial confounders via sibling comparisons. Pooled estimates across all the 3 countries were estimated using inverse variance weighted fixed-effects meta-analysis models. RESULTS A total of 4,498,462 individuals (48.7% female) were included, 1,091,846 (24.3%) of which were exposed to labor epidural analgesia. Of these, 1.2% were diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and 4.0% with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. On the population level, pooled estimates showed that labor epidural analgesia was associated with increased risk of offspring autism spectrum disorder (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.12; 95% confidence interval, 1.10-1.14, absolute risks, 1.20% vs 1.07%) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.20; 95% confidence interval, 1.19-1.21; absolute risks, 3.95% vs 3.32%). However, when comparing full siblings who were differentially exposed to labor epidural analgesia, the associations were fully attenuated for both conditions with narrow confidence intervals (adjusted hazard ratio [autism spectrum disorder], 0.98; 95% confidence interval, 0.93-1.03; adjusted hazard ratio attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, 0.99; 95% confidence interval, 0.96-1.02). CONCLUSION In this large cross-national study, we found no support for the hypothesis that exposure to labor epidural analgesia causes either offspring autism spectrum disorder or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tor-Arne Hegvik
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway; Department of Heart Disease, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
| | - Kari Klungsøyr
- Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway; Division of Mental and Physical Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Bergen, Norway
| | - Ralf Kuja-Halkola
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Hanna Remes
- Population Research Unit, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jan Haavik
- Department of Heart Disease, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway; Bergen Center for Brain Plasticity, Division of Psychiatry, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
| | - Brian M D'Onofrio
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IA
| | - Niina Metsä-Simola
- Population Research Unit, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Anders Engeland
- Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway; Division of Mental and Physical Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Bergen, Norway
| | - Seena Fazel
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Paul Lichtenstein
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Pekka Martikainen
- Population Research Unit, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland; Centre for Health Equity Studies (CHESS), Stockholm University and Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany
| | - Henrik Larsson
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; School of Medical Sciences, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden
| | - Amir Sariaslan
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom.
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Jenabi E, Seyedi M, Bashirian S, Fereidooni B. Is there an association between labor induction and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder among children? Clin Exp Pediatr 2021; 64:489-493. [PMID: 33561338 PMCID: PMC8426101 DOI: 10.3345/cep.2020.01557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2020] [Accepted: 01/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is evidence of destructive effects of oxytocin use during labor on neurodevelopment. PURPOSE This meta-analysis pooled all observational studies to determine the association between labor induction and the risk of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) among children. METHODS All observational studies (case-control and cohort) were reviewed until September 2020 after searches of the PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases, the gray literature, and conference proceedings. The pooled odds ratios (ORs), relative ratios (RRs), and 95% confidence intervals (CI (swere calculated as random effect estimates of association among studies. RESULTS All observational studies were reviewed, including 4 cohort studies including 2,885,743 participants and 3 casecontrol studies including 51,135 participants (10,961 with ADHD and 40,174 in control groups) with a sample size of 2,936,878 participants. The pooled estimates of OR and RR did not indicate a significant association between labor induction and ADHD among children (OR, 1.13; 95% CI, 0.90-1.35) and (RR, 1.10; 95% CI, 0.96-1.24). CONCLUSIONS The findings showed that labor induction is not associated with an increased risk of ADHD among children. However, more studies are needed to investigate the relationship between labor induction and ADHD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ensiyeh Jenabi
- Autism Spectrum Disorders Research Center, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
| | - Mahdieh Seyedi
- Autism Spectrum Disorders Research Center, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
| | - Saeid Bashirian
- Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
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Lønfeldt NN, Strandberg-Larsen K, Verhulst FC, Plessen KJ, Lebowitz ER. Birth with Synthetic Oxytocin and Risk of Childhood Emotional Disorders: A Danish Population-based Study. J Affect Disord 2020; 274:112-117. [PMID: 32469793 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2020.04.067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2020] [Revised: 04/28/2020] [Accepted: 04/30/2020] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Concerns have been raised that synthetic oxytocin, a widely used obstetric tool for labor induction and augmentation, may have deleterious effects on the neuropsychological development of children. Few studies have examined the relationship between oxytocin-stimulated labor and emotional disorders. METHODS We conducted a nationwide register-based cohort study including 677,629 singletons born in Denmark in the years 2000 to 2012 and followed through 2016 (median age = 10.6 years). Data on oxytocin-stimulation were obtained from the Danish Medical Birth Register. Cases of emotional disorders - anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, mood or traumatic stress disorders or a redeemed prescription for a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor - were identified using Danish patient and prescription registries. RESULTS Oxytocin was used to stimulate 31% of births, and oxytocin-stimulated labor was not associated with childhood emotional disorders (HR = 1.05, 95% CI 0.99, 1.11) after adjustment for maternal history of psychopathology, antidepressants during pregnancy, cohabitation status, highest educational attainment, smoking status during pregnancy, birth year, and indications for labor stimulation. The crude cox model was also small and close to unity (HR = 1.09, 95% CI 1.03, 1.15). LIMITATIONS About 50% of our population had reached the age of 10 years, but the outcome included disorders with later average debut ages. Oxytocin dosage levels are not recorded in the registers. CONCLUSIONS Our small effect size estimates suggest that perinatal synthetic oxytocin does not contribute to the development of emotional disorders. Current evidence does not warrant revision of guidelines for the use of oxytocin in obstetrics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Nadine Lønfeldt
- Child and Adolescent Mental Health Center, Capital Region of Denmark, Copenhagen, Denmark; Section of Epidemiology, Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
| | | | - Frank Cornelis Verhulst
- Child and Adolescent Mental Health Center, Capital Region of Denmark, Copenhagen, Denmark; Section of Epidemiology, Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark; Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Kerstin Jessica Plessen
- Child and Adolescent Mental Health Center, Capital Region of Denmark, Copenhagen, Denmark; Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland
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Early environmental risk factors for neurodevelopmental disorders - a systematic review of twin and sibling studies. Dev Psychopathol 2020; 33:1448-1495. [PMID: 32703331 PMCID: PMC8564717 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579420000620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
While neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) are highly heritable, several environmental risk factors have also been suggested. However, the role of familial confounding is unclear. To shed more light on this, we reviewed the evidence from twin and sibling studies. A systematic review was performed on case control and cohort studies including a twin or sibling within-pair comparison of neurodevelopmental outcomes, with environmental exposures until the sixth birthday. From 7,315 screened abstracts, 140 eligible articles were identified. After adjustment for familial confounding advanced paternal age, low birth weight, birth defects, and perinatal hypoxia and respiratory stress were associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and low birth weight, gestational age and family income were associated with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), categorically and dimensionally. Several previously suspected factors, including pregnancy-related factors, were deemed due to familial confounding. Most studies were conducted in North America and Scandinavia, pointing to a global research bias. Moreover, most studies focused on ASD and ADHD. This genetically informed review showed evidence for a range of environmental factors of potential casual significance in NDDs, but also points to a critical need of more genetically informed studies of good quality in the quest of the environmental causes of NDDs.
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