Maternal immune activation affects socio-communicative behavior in … – Nature.com

Maternal Immune Activation Impacts Socio-Communicative Behavior

Maternal immune activation affects socio-communicative behavior in newborns, according to a new study published in the journal Nature.com. The research, which included a group of mothers and their infants, showed that a strong immune-system during pregnancy had an impact on the social skills of the newborns months after they were born.

Immune System Activation During Pregnancy

Activation of a pregnant mother’s immune system has been linked to a number of negative outcomes in the infant, such as pre-term birth and various birth defects. The research team sought to determine if immune activation could also have a negative impact on the newborn’s social development and communication skills.

Testing Newborns for Social Skills

In order to do this, the research team looked at a group of mothers and their newborns for signs of immune-activation during pregnancy. They then assessed the infants for key social and communication skills at one month and six months after birth.

The results showed that infants of mothers who experienced high levels of immune-activation had fewer social-communication skills than those of mothers who experienced lower levels of immune-activation.

Effects of Maternal Immune Activation

The study suggests that maternal immune activation can have a direct impact on the development of a newborn’s socio-communication skills. As such, it is important that pregnant women are aware of the risks associated with high levels of immune-activation.

Additionally, this research highlights the importance of providing support and guidance to families with newborns who may be at risk of having poor social-communication skills.

Conclusion

This study suggests that maternal immune activation can have an impact on socio-communication skills in newborns. As such, it is important that pregnant women are aware of the risks associated with high levels of immune-activation, and that families of newborns who may be at risk of having poor social-communication skills are provided with support and guidance.