Western researchers are investigating what happens to a baby's developing brain when an infection occurs during pregnancy. (Unsplash)
Western researchers are investigating what happens to a baby's developing brain when an infection occurs during pregnancy. (Unsplash) - The risk of infection during pregnancy has always been a concern, but the high rate of illness during the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the potential impact of infection on a developing brain. To better understand the long-term consequences, a new Western University study supported by Western's BrainsCAN, explored the effects of a pregnant person's immune response to a virus or bacteria on an unborn baby's brain development. The study examined how early developmental changes can disrupt sensory processing abilities later in life commonly seen in neurodevelopmental disorders including autism spectrum disorder and schizophrenia." "Even before the pandemic, previous studies found that developmental disruption caused by infection during pregnancy can increase the risk of a child later developing autism or schizophrenia," said Faraj Haddad, first author of the paper and former Western PhD neuroscience researcher. "To examine this further, our study looked at a specific molecule called Interleukin-15 and its involvement in the maternal immune response's effects on fetal brain development and behaviour later in life." The study, published in the journal, Brain, Behavior, & Immunity - Health , found the maternal immune response affected sensory processing and anxiety in rodent models and the absence of Interleukin-15 (IL-15) modified these effects.
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