Neuroinflammation in the fetus exposed to maternal obsessive-compulsive disorder during pregnancy: a comparative study on cord blood tumor necrosis factor-alpha levels.

OBJECTIVE: The relationship between maternal psychiatric disorders and fetal neurodevelopment is unclear. Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is relatively frequent during pregnancy. The study aimed to investigate whether maternal OCD during pregnancy affects fetal circulating tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) levels, an important pro-inflammatory cytokine, by comparing cord blood TNF-α levels in newborn infants of women with and without OCD. METHODS: The study sample included 7 women with OCD and 30 healthy women. OCD and other psychiatric diagnoses were screened by means of the Structured Clinical Interview for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition. The blood sample for the determination of TNF-α level was obtained from the umbilical cord during delivery. RESULTS: Cord blood TNF-α levels in newborn infants exposed to maternal OCD were significantly higher compared to non-exposed infants. Maternal anxiety symptom level was found to positively correlate with cord blood TNF-α levels in newborn infants of women with OCD. CONCLUSION: The study results imply that maternal OCD during pregnancy may lead to neuroinflammation in the developing fetal brain through higher levels of circulating TNF-α.

Effect of Maternal Depression on Brain-derived Neurotrophic Factor Levels in Fetal Cord Blood.

OBJECTIVE: : We aimed to assess the association between cord blood brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) concentration and maternal depression during pregnancy. METHODS: : A total of 48 pregnant women, admitted for elective caesarean section to Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Konya Research and Training Hospital and Konya Necmettin Erbakan University Meram Medical Faculty, were included in this study. The study group included 23 women diagnosed as having depression during pregnancy and the control group included 25 pregnant women who did not experience depression during pregnancy. RESULTS: : The groups had similar sociodemographic characteristics. Cord blood BDNF concentration was significantly lower in babies born to mothers with major depression as compared with those in the control group. We didn’t find any correlation between the umbilical cord blood BDNF levels and BDI scores. CONCLUSION: : The results suggest that the existence of major depression in pregnant women may negatively affect fetal circulating BDNF levels.