Perinatal complications, lipid peroxidation, and mental health problems in a large community pediatric sample

Abstract

Replicated evidence indicates that perinatal complications are associated with increased markers of oxidative stress and with mental health problems in children. However, there are fewer reports on the impact of perinatal complications in later phases of development. We aimed to investigate the estimated effects of perinatal complications on levels of lipid peroxidation and on psychopathology in children and adolescents. The study is part of the High Risk Cohort Study for Psychiatric Disorders; the population was composed by 554 students, 6-14 years of age. Serum levels of malondialdehyde, a product of lipid peroxidation, were measured by the TBARS method. A household interview with parents and caregivers was conducted and included inquiries about perinatal history, the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), and parent's evaluation, using the Mini International Psychiatric Interview (MINI). We created a cumulative risk index, conceptualized as each individual's cumulative exposure to perinatal complications. Results indicate that perinatal complications were associated with higher levels of TBARS. After adjusting for age, gender, socio-economic status, CBCL total problems score, parental psychopathology, and childhood maltreatment, children exposed to 3 or more perinatal complications had an 26.9% (95% CI 9.9%, 46.6%) increase in TBARS levels, relative to the unexposed group. Exploratory mediation analysis indicated that TBARS levels partially mediated the association between perinatal complications and externalizing problems. In conclusion, an adverse intrauterine and/or early life environment, as proxied by the cumulative exposure to perinatal complications, was independently associated with higher levels of lipid peroxidation in children and adolescents.

Childhood adversity, mental health, and oxidative stress: A pilot study

“…The significant elevation of lipid peroxidation in the group exposed to higher childhood adversity events is comparable to findings from animal studies, which have found that early stress exposure (e.g., maternal deprivation) is linked to lipid peroxidation [39, 40, 72]. Prior studies have demonstrated associations between certain forms of early adversity, such as socioeconomic disadvantage [58] and perinatal complications [48], with oxidative stress in human pediatric samples. Increased oxidative stress also has been observed in adult populations with a history of childhood maltreatment [73].…”

“…In a study of children aged 6–14, perinatal complications were associated with elevations in a marker of lipid peroxidation compared to an unexposed group. Further, lipid peroxidation partially mediated the association between perinatal complications and child externalizing problems [48]. Overall, findings support that childhood adversity and oxidative stress are related, but with limited studies and evidence in pediatric populations.…”

Autism Spectrum Disorders and Perinatal Complications—Is Oxidative Stress the Connection?

“…A recent study conducted within a student population suggested that an adverse intrauterine and/or early life environment, accompanied by the cumulative exposure to perinatal complications, correlate with externalizing problems particularly in childhood and adolescence. This was further accompanied by increased levels of lipid peroxidation, thus pointing out to the role of oxidative distress on psychopathology in this vulnerable life period (53).…”

Population neuroscience: challenges and opportunities for psychiatric research in low- and middle-income countries

“…The High-Risk Cohort Study for the Development of Childhood Psychiatric Disorders (HRC), an ongoing longitudinal cohort study conducted in Brazil, is highlighted here due to its innovative methodology among LMICs that includes psychopathology, cognitive assessments, genetics, and neuroimaging. Our search elicited 12 studies resulting from the HRC, including the following topics and methodologies: functional connectivity and depression, 11 the role of inflammation in mental health problems in children, 12 cortical structure in children and adolescents with psychiatric disorders, 13 spontaneous brain activity involved in obsessive compulsive symptoms, 14 self-harm, 15 perinatal complications and mental health problems in children and adolescents, 16 dynamic functional connectivity and psychopathology, 17 attention bias to threat, 18 the association between obsessive compulsive symptoms and psychopathology/behavior problems, 19 the genetics of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), 20 the utilization of mental health services by children, 21 and the economic impact of childhood mental disorders. 22 …”