Study Finds Autism, ADHD, & Emotional Dysregulation in Children Linked with Maternal Inflammation

Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies

With a rise in diagnosis of children with Tourette syndrome, autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and other conditions associated with emotional dysregulation, there are no easy answers as to why we are seeing such an increase. But recent research may give us a glimpse into one factor that appears to play a strong role: maternal inflammation. Autoimmunity, obesity, asthma, infection or injury, and psychological stress can all contribute to the inflammatory response, as can pre-eclampsia.

Additionally, it is believed that maternal immune activation and inflammation during pregnancy are closely tied together and can cause neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs), thereby creating an “urgent need to mitigate the risk and severity of these conditions through both preventive strategies in pregnancy and novel postnatal therapies.”¹ First, let’s look at several studies with similar findings in this area, as well as several options helpful in addressing maternal inflammation to lessen the risk of NDDs.

How Immune Activation and Inflammation Influences Neurodevelopment

A study published in the journal Nature Reviews Neurology found maternal immune activation (MIA) and the subsequent inflammation is strongly associated with offspring NDDs.¹ Additionally, the researchers established individuals with NDDs develop dysregulated immune pathways, indicating that maternal immune status influences not only the neurodevelopment of the fetus, but also their immune system. The team believes this is due to “immune signalling across the placenta, epigenetic ‘priming’ of offspring microglia and postnatal immune–brain crosstalk.” Moreover, the researchers state:

“In conjunction with individual genetic risk, sex-related factors and second ‘immune’ hits during life, MIA-induced aberrant immune programming results in a loss of immune homeostasis, which is associated with behavioural abnormalities in animal models.”

Another study in 2018 found mothers who experienced inflammation during pregnancy directly influenced their newborn’s functional brain organization and the child’s working memory two years later.² Likewise, an article in Science Translational Medicine notes inflammation during pregnancy leads to poor neurodevelopmental outcomes in the offspring and an increased risk of autism and ADHD.³

A systematic review published in the journal Translational Psychiatry had similar findings. The team examined data from studies establishing the association between MIA and NDDs. They discovered maternal states linked with ASD (autism spectrum disorder) in their offspring include obesity, gestational diabetes mellitus, pre-eclampsia, pollution, stress, depression, autoimmune diseases, and infection. The development of ADHD is associated with the maternal states of obesity, smoking, pre-eclampsia, low socioeconomic status, stress, autoimmune disease, and asthma. For Tourette syndrome, mothers with low socioeconomic status, depression, and autoimmune diseases were linked with the condition.⁴

Lessening the Risk of Neurodevelopmental Disorders

In light of these findings, cooling chronic inflammation is crucial if you plan to become pregnant. How you address inflammation depends on the cause. Below are a range of conditions that are often at the root of chronic inflammation with the corresponding natural remedies:

Autoimmunity: Reishi, turkey tail, lion’s mane, and cordyceps medicinal mushrooms. Each is found in my convenient Mushroom FOURtress Bundle. Additionally, healing the gut is essential to reduce inflammation. My favorite herbs for this purpose are reishi, lion’s mane, and turkey tail mushrooms, along with plantain, slippery elm, and marshmallow root. These botanicals are found in our Balanced Gut Blend.

Bacterial or viral infections (including Lyme disease): My Eastern Blend is formulated with potent antibacterial and antiviral herbs, including Chinese skullcap, Japanese honeysuckle, Japanese knotweed, and cordyceps mushroom. Each is a powerful defense against contagious and vector-borne illness and helps to reduce the bacterial and viral load so you can heal quickly.

Psychological stress: Often overlooked as a cause of chronic inflammation, ongoing stress leads to changes in the microbiome and your physiology that can trigger an inflammatory reaction. My top herbs and adaptogens to calm the nervous system and reduce the negative impacts of stress are included in our Anxiety & Stress Blend, which includes ashwagandha, lemon balm, lion’s mane mushroom, and reishi mushroom.

If you are already pregnant and find you are struggling with inflammation, I always recommend working closely with a naturopathic or integrative medicine physician who is familiar with your personal health history to establish if supplements and/or herbal remedies are safe to use — including those listed above. Ginger is the exception. Helpful for calming the nausea associated with morning sickness as well as cooling inflammation, this is considered to be an excellent herb to use during pregnancy. You can take it in capsule form, as a tea, juiced, or added to your meals. It can be used either fresh or powdered. Do not exceed more than one-gram (1,000mg) per day as safety has not been established for pregnancy beyond this amount.⁵

See this post for additional tips on naturally cooling inflammation.

Diet

What you eat is also a powerful ally in cooling inflammation. One of my top recommendations that is safe to use during pregnancy is the green Mediterranean diet. Similar to a traditional Mediterranean diet where you consume a wide variety of vegetables and greens, whole grains, legumes, fruit, and healthy fats from nuts and oils, the difference with green-Med is you limit animal products. You can enjoy moderate amounts of wild-caught fish and pastured dairy, but red meat and processed meats are off-limits. It is also recommended you drink 3-4 cups of green tea per day and eat an ounce of walnuts daily. This is a whole foods diet and doesn’t include processed foods — including bread. Some personally find grains and beans problematic. If this is the case for you, look into an anti-inflammatory ketogenic diet as outlined in my holistic guide — more information down below!

Do not eat more than two, 4-ounce servings per week of wild-caught fatty fish, preferably from Alaska as it tends to have the lowest environmental toxin load, particularly damaging heavy metals such as mercury. Also, make sure your fish is fully cooked (not smoked or raw in sushi) to avoid complications with listeria bacteria. Avoid canned fish as it can absorb toxins from the can lining that are harmful to a developing brain. Overall, wild-caught fatty fish from a clean environment is an outstanding food for both you and the development of your baby as it is rich in essential fatty acids and protein.

Comprehensive Natural Wellness

The Holistic Guide To Wellness: Herbal Protocols for Common Ailments is also a tremendous resource for learning about how supplements, herbal remedies, lifestyle habits, and diet can tame chronic inflammation and balance the immune system. See the general autoimmune protocol for more information. With this comprehensive book, you will not be left guessing. Within its pages you will find specific foods, physical and mental exercises, stress-relief techniques, vitamins, minerals, herbs, massages, stretches, natural remedies, and a range of additional holistic practices — all backed by peer-reviewed science.

Interested in learning more? Tap here and pick up your copy today!

Nicole Apelian

Nicole’s Apothecary Products in this Post

References

1. Han, V.X., Patel, S., Jones, H.F. et al. Maternal immune activation and neuroinflammation in human neurodevelopmental disorders. Nat Rev Neurol 17, 564–579 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41582-021-00530-8
2. Rosenberg, M.D. Baby brains reflect maternal inflammation. Nat Neurosci 21, 651–653 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41593-018-0134-0
3. “Mother’s inflammation shapes baby’s brain” Science Translational Medicine, 2 May 2018, Vol 10, Issue 439. DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.aat8524
4. Han, V.X., Patel, S., Jones, H.F. et al. Maternal acute and chronic inflammation in pregnancy is associated with common neurodevelopmental disorders: a systematic review. Transl Psychiatry 11, 71 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41398-021-01198-w
5. Stanisiere, J., Mousset, P. Y., & Lafay, S. (2018). How Safe Is Ginger Rhizome for Decreasing Nausea and Vomiting in Women during Early Pregnancy?. Foods (Basel, Switzerland), 7(4), 50. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods7040050