PRINDOUT

Infections during pregnancy can seriously affect neurodevelopment of the foetus, leading to neurodevelopmental disorders such as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). While there is growing evidence for a relation between maternal infection and atypical cognitive or behavioural outcome, how exactly brain development is affected is still largely unknown as existing studies are inconclusive and hampered by low case numbers. The COVID-19 pandemic provides a unique opportunity to investigate the consequences of maternal respiratory infections on child development as mitigation measures resulted in a marked reduction in respiratory infections in the population. The PRINDOUT study will investigate brain, cognitive, and behavioural outcome in a large dataset of offspring of mothers that were pregnant either before or during the pandemic. We hypothesize that changes in respiratory infection exposure and associated inflammation during pregnancy influence brain, cognitive and behavioural development in offspring. As such, differences in offspring outcomes are expected between pregnancies with either normal ranges of respiratory infection (pre-COVID-19), less respiratory infections because of the COVID-19-related mitigation measures, or a specific infection with SARS-CoV-2.

When a pregnant woman becomes ill due to a respiratory infection (such as a cold, flu, or COVID), it can impact her baby’s development. We believe that the infection disrupts the wiring of the baby’s brain, leading to difficulties in focusing attention and potentially resulting in behavioral issues.

To investigate this, we first examine the type and severity of potential infections through the blood and saliva of pregnant women. We then combine this information with data collected from their babies up to the age of three regarding the development of their brain networks, attention, and self-control.

We can do this by integrating knowledge from various fields: developmental psychology, pediatrics, epidemiology, and immunology. Ultimately, we hope that this research will allow us to provide better guidance to pregnant women and to be able to assist children facing behavioral issues.