Groundbreaking Discovery at the Roots of ADHD: Link Between Placental Health and Brain Development Proven

A groundbreaking scientific discovery has been made in the world of child neurology, psychiatry and gynecology regarding the origins of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), which affects one in every 10 children today. Researchers at the University of Iowa Medical Health Care (UI Health Care) have demonstrated the direct link between placental health and brain development with clinical data for the first time. According to the research published in the journal JAMA Psychiatry, deteriorations in the placental tissue, which provides nutrients, oxygen and blood flow between the mother and the baby in the late stages of pregnancy, directly affect the neurological development of the child in later ages.

TURKISH SCIENTIST DR. GIANT STEP FROM THE TEAM LEADED BY BANU GUMUSOĞLU

UI Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Psychiatry Faculty Member Dr. In the study carried out under the leadership of Serena (Banu) Gümüşoğlu, blood samples from all trimesters of 176 pregnancies stored in the Perinatal Family Tissue Bank and the health records of the children born over the years were examined.

Analyzes showed that every standard deviation decrease in a key protein called Placental Growth Factor (PlGF) during the third trimester of pregnancy (the last three months) increased the likelihood of the child being diagnosed with ADHD years later by 2.6 times.

"HIDDEN" PLACENTA DAMAGE WITHOUT CLINICAL SYMPTOMS AFFECTS THE BRAIN

Low levels of the PlGF protein are already known in the medical world as a warning of complications such as preeclampsia (pregnancy poisoning) and premature birth.

However, Dr. Banu Gümüşoğlu and her team found that the relationship between low PlGF and ADHD remained strong even after not investigating clinical cases such as pregnancy poisoning or premature birth. This finding confirmed that subtle changes in cellular size in the placenta can alter the baby's brain development, even if no clinical disease is diagnosed during pregnancy.

EARLY INTERVENTION PERIOD WITH BLOOD TEST DURING PREGNANCY

Researchers report that the data obtained does not yet prove a direct "cause-effect" relationship, but it opens new doors of treatment and control on the placenta-brain axis.

Thanks to PlGF levels measured in blood samples during pregnancy, it can be determined years in advance whether the unborn baby is at risk in terms of neurodevelopment. In this way, children at risk of ADHD can be monitored early in their development and preventive measures can be developed before symptoms that will negatively affect their academic and social lives appear.