Perinatal C-Reactive Protein Levels Detected in Deciduous Teeth Are Associated With Autism-Related Traits and Behavior Problems in School-Aged Children.

BACKGROUND

Previous studies have linked prenatal maternal inflammatory markers, including C-reactive protein (CRP), to child neurodevelopmental outcomes; however, findings are mixed. Deciduous tooth assays allow for a direct measure of CRP in the fetal milieu, and initial findings suggest that children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), compared with nondiagnosed control participants, have higher levels of CRP during the third trimester of gestation.

METHODS

The present study attempts to replicate this finding in a nonclinical sample and test whether prenatal CRP is associated with mother-reported measures of ASD-related traits and other child behavior problems. Mother-child dyads (N = 93) were followed prospectively from pregnancy through school age. We obtained deciduous (baby) teeth and assayed them for weekly CRP levels during the perinatal period and linked these exposures to maternal reports of behavior problems on the Child Behavior Checklist.

RESULTS

We showed that higher ASD-related traits, including social problems and thought problems, as well as attention and aggression problems, are associated with higher CRP levels in the third trimester. Behavior problems were also associated with elevated CRP levels in the first several months after birth and decreased CRP levels later in infancy.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings replicate and extend the findings of the case-control study of ASD. These findings suggest a possible role for perinatal inflammation in children's neurodevelopmental outcomes and a need to further probe sensitive developmental windows and potential protective factors in this association.