title: Associations between self-reported symptoms of prenatal maternal infection and post-traumatic stress disorder in offspring: evidence from a prospective birth cohort study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Consistent evidence has linked a range of prenatal maternal infections with psychotic disorders in later life. However, the potential for this exposure to impact more common disorders requires further investigation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants came from the Mater University Study of pregnancy, a longitudinal, pre-birth cohort study which recruited pregnant mothers from a Brisbane hospital between 1981 and 1984. At age 21, 2439 offspring completed the CIDI-Auto. Multivariate logistic regression was used to investigate associations of self-reported symptoms of prenatal infection with a range of DSM-IV anxiety and affective diagnoses, while also testing for gender interactions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In multivariate analyses, self-reported symptoms of prenatal genital infection predicted Post-traumatic stress disorders (OR=2.38, 95% CI: 1.14, 4.95) and social phobias (OR=1.93, 95% CI: 1.03, 3.61), in addition to evidence for a gender interaction by which males (OR=6.04, 95% CI: 2.00, 18.30) but not females were at greater risk for PTSD. Further analyses among those with PTSD revealed the relationship to be stronger when excluding those not exposed to trauma (OR=3.21, 95% CI: 1.53, 6.72).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We were unable to clinically or serologically verify the presence and the type of prenatal genital infection.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is the first study to show an association between self-reported symptoms of prenatal genital infections and two highly prevalent anxiety disorders among adult offspring. The relationship with PTSD was particularly strong and suggested that the exposure may primarily impact PTSD in males. Further research with the capacity to assess a fuller-range of specific prenatal infections is warranted to evaluate the potential of reducing the prevalence of these disorders.
authors: School of Population Health, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia. Electronic address: kim.betts@uqconnect.edu.au.
authors: Kim S
authors: KS
authors: Betts
authors: School of Population Health, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia. Electronic address: c.salom@uq.edu.au.
authors: Caroline L
authors: CL
authors: Salom
authors: School of Population Health, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia. Electronic address: g.williams@sph.uq.edu.au.
authors: Gail M
authors: GM
authors: Williams
authors: School of Social Science and Population Health, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia. Electronic address: j.najman@uq.edu.au.
authors: Jakob M
authors: JM
authors: Najman
authors: School of Public Health and Centre for Youth Substance Abuse Research, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia. Electronic address: r.alati@sph.uq.edu.au.
authors: Rosa
authors: R
authors: Alati
mesh_terms: D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018811:Maternal Exposure; D010698:Phobic Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D060737:Reproductive Tract Infections / Q000453:epidemiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D057566:Self Report; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Gender interaction; PTSD; Prenatal genital infection; Prospective birth cohort; Psychiatric disorders; Social phobias