Continuous Psychological Distress in Pregnancy Increases Offspring Risk for Epilepsy

THURSDAY, Nov. 14, 2024 (HealthDay News) — Continuous moderate-level maternal psychological distress throughout pregnancy is associated with a heightened risk for epilepsy among offspring, according to a study published online Nov. 13 in PLOS ONE.

Yuto Arai, M.D., from Tottori University in Yonago, Japan, and colleagues evaluated the association between six-item Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K6) scores and epilepsy among children aged 1 to 3 years. The analysis included data from 97,484 children divided into six groups based on K6 scores of two ranges during the first and second halves of pregnancy.

The researchers found that a maternal K6 score ≥5 at both the first and second half of pregnancy was associated with epilepsy diagnosis ratios among 1-, 2-, and 3-year-old children in both univariate and multivariate analyses (odds ratios, 1.7, 1.6, and 1.6, respectively).

“In conclusion, the present study found that continuous moderate-level maternal psychological distress from the first to the second half of pregnancy was associated with epilepsy among 1-, 2-, and 3-year-old children,” the authors write. “As previously reported, additional risk factors include artificial milk nutrition, low birth weight, and chromosomal abnormalities. Therefore, environmental adjustments to promote relaxation in pregnant women are needed to prevent the development of epilepsy in their offspring.”

Abstract/Full Text