Prenatal maternal infections and children's socioemotional development: findings from the UK Millennium Cohort Study.

ABSTRACT: Previous research suggests that prenatal maternal infections may be associated with increased odds of children having a neurodevelopmental disorder. However, little evidence exists on associations with broader child outcomes, especially subclinical symptoms. Participants were the N = 14,021 members of the population-representative UK Millennium Cohort Study. We examined associations between prenatal maternal infections, both maternal-reported and hospital-recorded, and children's socioemotional development, using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) at age three. Maternal-reported prenatal infections were associated with increased emotional symptoms, after adjusting for several potential confounds and covariates. Hospital-recorded prenatal infections were not associated with

SUBMITTER: Hall HA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8505323 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature