Kally C O Apos Reilly Sparks, Lauren C Shuffrey, Rebecca N Siegel, Hannah Yueh, Morgan R Firestein, Amy J Elliott, Hein J Odendaal, George M Anderson, William P Fifer, Jeremy Veenstra-VanderWeele
{"title":"Association of Umbilical Cord Blood Serotonin Levels with Neurodevelopmental Outcomes.","authors":"Kally C O Apos Reilly Sparks, Lauren C Shuffrey, Rebecca N Siegel, Hannah Yueh, Morgan R Firestein, Amy J Elliott, Hein J Odendaal, George M Anderson, William P Fifer, Jeremy Veenstra-VanderWeele","doi":"10.1159/000547803","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine [5-HT]) plays an important role in early development, and fetal 5-HT has been reported to arise from placental and maternal sources. Previous human studies have established an association between maternal 5-HT levels and neurodevelopmental outcomes in populations with autism. In this study, we analyze umbilical cord blood and placental 5-HT levels at birth to further investigate the relationship of gestational 5-HT levels with birth outcomes and offspring cognitive development.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Participants were enrolled in the Safe Passage Study conducted by the Prenatal Alcohol and SIDS and Stillbirth (PASS) Network. Infant cord blood and placental samples were collected postdelivery, and 5-HT levels were measured using high-performance liquid chromatography-fluorometric analysis. The Mullen Scales of Early Learning (MSEL) assessed child development at 12 months. Associations between 5-HT levels and birth outcomes or developmental outcomes were assessed using linear regression models.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>No significant association was found between cord blood (n = 418) and placental (n = 89) 5-HT levels. Preterm birth was associated with lower cord blood 5-HT levels, and increasing gestational age among full-term infants was associated with higher cord blood 5-HT levels. Cord blood 5-HT was significantly associated with the Mullen Scales of Early Learning Composite Score, and follow-up analyses revealed a significant association between cord blood 5-HT and fine motor skills. No association was found between placental 5-HT and the Mullen composite score.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>To our knowledge, this study is the first to evaluate the relationship between placental 5-HT levels and cord blood 5-HT levels at birth. The lack of association suggests that cord blood 5-HT levels are likely to be a better index of fetal 5-HT exposure. Associations between cord blood 5-HT and child cognitive development are consistent with previous studies showing an association between maternal 5-HT levels and neurodevelopmental trajectories. Further research is needed to better characterize these relationships and to elucidate the distinct contributions of maternal, placental, and fetal 5-HT sources across developmental time points.</p>","PeriodicalId":50585,"journal":{"name":"Developmental Neuroscience","volume":" ","pages":"1-12"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0000,"publicationDate":"2025-09-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Developmental Neuroscience","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1159/000547803","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Introduction: Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine [5-HT]) plays an important role in early development, and fetal 5-HT has been reported to arise from placental and maternal sources. Previous human studies have established an association between maternal 5-HT levels and neurodevelopmental outcomes in populations with autism. In this study, we analyze umbilical cord blood and placental 5-HT levels at birth to further investigate the relationship of gestational 5-HT levels with birth outcomes and offspring cognitive development.
Methods: Participants were enrolled in the Safe Passage Study conducted by the Prenatal Alcohol and SIDS and Stillbirth (PASS) Network. Infant cord blood and placental samples were collected postdelivery, and 5-HT levels were measured using high-performance liquid chromatography-fluorometric analysis. The Mullen Scales of Early Learning (MSEL) assessed child development at 12 months. Associations between 5-HT levels and birth outcomes or developmental outcomes were assessed using linear regression models.
Results: No significant association was found between cord blood (n = 418) and placental (n = 89) 5-HT levels. Preterm birth was associated with lower cord blood 5-HT levels, and increasing gestational age among full-term infants was associated with higher cord blood 5-HT levels. Cord blood 5-HT was significantly associated with the Mullen Scales of Early Learning Composite Score, and follow-up analyses revealed a significant association between cord blood 5-HT and fine motor skills. No association was found between placental 5-HT and the Mullen composite score.
Conclusion: To our knowledge, this study is the first to evaluate the relationship between placental 5-HT levels and cord blood 5-HT levels at birth. The lack of association suggests that cord blood 5-HT levels are likely to be a better index of fetal 5-HT exposure. Associations between cord blood 5-HT and child cognitive development are consistent with previous studies showing an association between maternal 5-HT levels and neurodevelopmental trajectories. Further research is needed to better characterize these relationships and to elucidate the distinct contributions of maternal, placental, and fetal 5-HT sources across developmental time points.
期刊介绍:
''Developmental Neuroscience'' is a multidisciplinary journal publishing papers covering all stages of invertebrate, vertebrate and human brain development. Emphasis is placed on publishing fundamental as well as translational studies that contribute to our understanding of mechanisms of normal development as well as genetic and environmental causes of abnormal brain development. The journal thus provides valuable information for both physicians and biologists. To meet the rapidly expanding information needs of its readers, the journal combines original papers that report on progress and advances in developmental neuroscience with concise mini-reviews that provide a timely overview of key topics, new insights and ongoing controversies. The editorial standards of ''Developmental Neuroscience'' are high. We are committed to publishing only high quality, complete papers that make significant contributions to the field.