Perinatal oxytocin increases the risk of offspring bipolar disorder and childhood cognitive impairment

Abstract

Background We tested the hypothesis that perinatal oxytocin, given to pregnant women to induce labor, is related to offspring bipolar disorder (BP) and worse childhood cognitive performance among offspring. We also tested the association between childhood cognition and later BP. Methods A population-based birth cohort derived from the Child Health and Development Study (CHDS) which included nearly all pregnant women receiving obstetric care from the Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Plan, Northern California Region (KPNC) between1959–1966. Prospectively obtained medical and offspring cognitive performance were used. Potential cases with BP from the cohort were identified by database linkages. This protocol identified 94 cases who were matched 1:8 to controls. Results Perinatal oxytocin was associated with a 2.4 times increased odds of later BP. Oxytocin was also associated with decreased performance on the Raven Matrices, but not on the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT). Childhood cognition was not associated with later BP. Limitations Loss to follow-up must be considered in all birth cohort studies. Additionally, the childhood cognitive battery did not include tests related to multiple domains of cognition which have been associated with later BP. A third limitation is the modest sample size of those exposed to oxytocin. Conclusions This study provides evidence for a potentially important perinatal risk factor for BP and cognitive impairment in childhood. While the association between perinatal oxytocin and offspring BP must be viewed cautiously until further studies can attempt to replicate the result, it lends support to the broader view that neurodevelopmental factors contribute to BP.

Maternal T. gondii, offspring bipolar disorder and neurocognition

“…As noted, our group previously reported that childhood cognitive performance was not associated with later BP in this birth cohort (Freedman et al, 2015), though cases had a higher mean PPVT score compared to controls (103.1 versus 100.1) and a lower mean score on the Raven (0.0237 versus 0.0254), the significance levels were as follows (PPVT: p = 0.19; Raven: p = 0.93). Although prior research reported that premorbid cognitive impairments are observed in BP, they are domain-specific rather than generalized (Bearden et al, 2001; Bearden et al, 2010; Daban et al, 2006; Goodwin et al, 2008; Harvey et al, 2010; Lim et al, 2013; Quraishi and Frangou, 2002; Savitz et al, 2005; Stefanopoulou et al, 2009).…”

“…However, an analysis of four birth cohorts found that the subjects who later developed BP performed better than the general population on verbal, spatial, and inductive reasoning (MacCabe et al, 2013). Similarly, our group previously reported that childhood cognition was also not associated with BP in the CHDS birth cohort in a study of perinatally administered oxytocin and BP (Freedman et al, 2015). …”

“…Ascertainment of cases and controls has been described previously (Brown et al, 2013; Canetta et al, 2014; Freedman et al, 2015). Subjects with potential DSM-IV-TR BP, which included BP I, BP II, BP NOS, and BP with psychotic features, were ascertained from three sources: the KPNC electronic medical records database, the Alameda County Behavioral Health Care Services (ABHCS) database, and a mailed survey to the entire living CHDS birth cohort (mothers and children).…”

Maternal hormonal milieu influence on fetal brain development

“…Additionally, the neuropeptide oxytocin may also be one of the interveners of the fetal programming effect (Carter, 2014;Freedman, Brown, Shen, & Schaefer, 2015;Kenkel, Yee, & Carter, 2014). While endogenous oxytocin has neuroprotective effects during labor, excessive exogenous oxytocin increases the risk of fetal hypoxic-ischemic events (Ben-Ari, Khalilov, Kahle, & Cherubini, 2012;Ceanga, Spataru, & Zagrean, 2010;Khazipov, Tyzio, & Ben-Ari, 2008).…”

Perinatal outcomes following labor induction with dinoprostone in pregnancies with borderline amniotic fluid index at term: A clinical observation study

“…Thus, iatrogenic interventions such as artificial rupture of membrane were intentionally used in clinical for determining the mode of delivery. In addition, endogenous oxytocin in humans can be released by stimulation to accelerate the delivery . Future studies were still needed to analyze the use of oxytocin augmentation in specific dose and strength.…”