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Introduction: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder commonly diagnosed in school-age children. However, it can affect individuals of all age groups. This study aimed to provide a comprehensive analysis of the prevalence of ADHD in adults by conducting an umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Objectives: To provide a comprehensive synthesis of published evidence on the prevalence of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in adults through an umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses, with the aim of highlighting the significance of addressing and managing ADHD in the adult population. Methods: To conduct this study, we adhered to the guidelines outlined in the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA). We systematically searched databases such as PsychINFO, Web of Science, PubMed, and Scopus to identify relevant studies. Our review protocol was registered with PROSPERO (registration number: CRD42023389704). The quality of the studies included in our analysis was assessed using the A Measurement Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews (AMSTAR). For the purpose of conducting a meta-analysis, we employed a random-effects model. Results: Our umbrella review examined findings from five systematic reviews that encompassed data from 57 unique international primary studies undertaken between 2009 and 2021. These studies involved a total of 21,142,129 adult participants. The meta-analysis, employing an inverse variance-weighted random effect model, yielded a pooled prevalence estimate for ADHD in adults of 3.10% (95% confidence interval: 2.60%–3.60%). Regarding ADHD subtypes, our analysis revealed that ADHD-I (inattentive type) remained the most prevalent among adults, followed by ADHD-HI (hyperactive type) and ADHD-C (combined type). Conclusions: Our results underscore the relatively high prevalence of ADHD among adults, with ADHD-I emerging as the most common subtype. These findings emphasize the need for proactive measures to prevent, mitigate, identify, and effectively manage ADHD in the adult population. Disclosure of Interest: None Declared [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The existing body of evidence on the association between maternal diabetes and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in offspring is inconsistent and inconclusive. Thus, we need to synthesise the available evidence to examine the association between maternal diabetes and risk of ADHD in offspring. Objectives: The aim of this meta-analysis was to examine the association between maternal diabetes and the risk of ADHD in offspring. Methods: We conducted a comprehensive search across PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, Scopus, CINAHL and PsychINFO databases from their inception to September 8th, 2023. The methodological quality of the included studies was evaluated using Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) and Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS). Between-study heterogeneity was assessed using I2 statistic and potential publication bias was checked using both funnel plot and Egger's test. Randomeffect model was used to calculate the pooled effect estimates and subgroup, sensitivity, and meta-regression were further performed to support our findings Results: Twenty observational studies (two cross-sectional, five case-control and thirteen cohort studies) were included in this systematic review and meta-analysis. Our meta-analysis indicated that intra-uterine exposure to any type of maternal diabetes was associated with an increased risk ADHD in offspring [RR=1.33: 95 % CI: 1.23–1.43, I2=79.9%]. When we stratified the analysis by maternal diabetes type, we found 17%, and 37% higher risk of ADHD in offspring exposed to maternal gestational [RR=1.17: 95 % CI: 1.07–1.29] and pre-existing diabetes [RR=1.37: 95 % CI: 1.27–1.48] compared to unexposed offspring respectively. Results of subgroup and sensitivity analysis further supported the robustness of our main finding. Conclusions: Our review suggested that exposure to maternal diabetes increased the risk of ADHD in offspring. These findings underscore the need for early screening and prompt interventions for exposed offspring. Disclosure of Interest: None Declared [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: From recent epidemiological studies to emerging epidemiological evidence, it becomes evident that numerous primary studies have investigated the prevalence of ADHD in children and adolescents. Additionally, several systematic reviews and meta-analyses have explored this subject. The objective of this umbrella review is to offer a robust synthesis of evidence derived from these systematic reviews and meta-analyses Objectives: To conduct a comprehensive umbrella review that synthesizes emerging epidemiological evidence regarding the prevalence of ADHD in children and adolescents, drawing insights from numerous primary studies as well as systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Methods: We conducted a systematic search across multiple databases, including PubMed, Web of Science, PsychINFO, and Scopus, to identify relevant studies. The study was preregistered with PROSPERO (registration number: CRD42023389704). To assess the quality of these studies, we utilized the Measurement Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews (AMSTAR). We employed an inverse variance-weighted random-effects meta-analysis to combine prevalence estimates from the included studies. Results: The final analysis incorporated thirteen meta-analytic systematic reviews, encompassing 588 primary studies and a total of 3,277,590 participants. A random-effects meta-analysis of these studies revealed that the global prevalence of ADHD in children and adolescents stood at 8.0% (95% CI: 6.0%–10%). Notably, the prevalence estimate was twice as high in boys (10%) compared to girls (5%). Among the three subtypes of ADHD, the inattentive type (ADHD-I) emerged as the most prevalent, followed by the hyperactive type (ADHD-HI) and the combined type (ADHD-C). Conclusions: The comprehensive umbrella review findings emphasize the high prevalence of ADHD in children and adolescents, with a notable gender disparity, wherein boys are twice as likely to be affected compared to girls. These results underscore the urgency of prioritizing prevention, early identification, and treatment strategies for ADHD in children and adolescents. Disclosure of Interest: None Declared [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: A body of research has examined the association between prenatal cannabis use and congenital birth defects in offspring; however, these studies have not been synthesised. We performed a comprehensive synthesis of existing research to test whether there is an association between prenatal cannabis use and congenital birth defects in exposed offspring. Objectives: The aim of this study was to conduct a comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis of existing evidence to synthesise the association between prenatal cannabis use and congenital birth defects in exposed offspring. Methods: In line with the preregistered protocol (PROSPERO: CRD42022368623), we systematically searched PubMed/Medline, CINHAL, EMBASE, Web of Science, ProQuest, Psych-Info, and Google Scholar for published articles until 4 April 2023. The methodological quality of the included studies was appraised by the Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale (NOS). A meta-analysis was carried out to report the pooled effect estimates from the included studies. We further performed subgroup, leave-one-out sensitivity, and meta-regression analyses, which increased the robustness of our findings. Results: Thirty observational studies (i.e., fifteen case-control and fifteen cohort studies) with 229,930 cases of birth defects and 26,826,741 controls (healthy babies) were included in the final analysis. We found that offspring exposed to maternal prenatal cannabis had a 56%, 69%, 47%, 23%, and 13% increased risk of any birth defects (irrespective of specific body system) [RR = 1.56: 95 % CI 1.28 – 1.92], defects of the gastrointestinal [RR = 1.69: 95 % CI 1.37 – 2.09], cardiovascular/heart [RR = 1.47: 95 % CI 1.09 – 1.97], central nervous systems [RR = 1.43: 95 % CI 1.09 – 1.89], and facial/oral cleft [RR = 1.13: 95 % CI 1.08 – 1.18], respectively. Conclusions: The findings from the current study suggest that maternal prenatal cannabis exposure is associated with a higher risk of birth defects in offspring. The findings highlight the importance of promotive and preventive strategies to reduce cannabis use during pregnancy that contribute to minimising the risk of birth defects in offspring. Disclosure of Interest: None Declared [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Cannabis use has been increasing among women of reproductive age in the last few decades. In-utero cannabis exposure could be associated with an increased risk of neurodevelopmental disorders such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and intellectual disability (ID) during childhood and adolescence; however, existing evidence was generated based on maternal self-report of cannabis use in pregnancy. We conducted a large-scale with data linkage cohort study, in which both exposure and outcome of interests were confirmed using diagnostic tools, ICD-10-AM. Objectives: This study aimed to examine the association between prenatal cannabis use disorder (CUD) and neurodevelopmental disorders in offspring using a large-scale cohort study. Methods: We conducted an administrative health data-based cohort study of 222,569 mother-offspring pairs using linked data obtained from health registries in New South Wales (NSW), Australia. Data were drawn from the NSW Perinatal Data Collection (PDC), which included all live births in the Australian state of NSW between January 2003 and December 2005. These were linked with the NSW in-patient and ambulatory data collections for mothers and offspring. The prenatal cannabis use disorder (exposure) and neurodevelopmental disorders in offspring (outcomes of interest) were measured by using ICD-10-AM. Generalized linear regression with a binomial family model was used to explore the association. We also carried out a modification/interaction effect of low birth weight (LBW), smoking and premature births (PTB), which enhanced the methodological robustness of the study. Results: This study found that offspring from mothers with prenatal CUwD had a 98%, 94% and 46% increased risk of ADHD [aRR = 1.98: 95 % CI 1.36 – 2.88], ASD [aRR = 1.94: 95 % CI 1.34 – 2.82], and ID [aRR = 1.46: 95 % CI 1.01 – 2.63] compared to those non-exposed offspring, respectively. We observed a significant interaction effect between CUD during pregnancy and maternal smoking on the risk of childhood ADHD, ASD and ID [CUD*smoking: RR = 5.62: 95 % CI 3.77 – 8.39, RR = 2.72: 95 % CI 1.78 – 4.18, and RR = 2.84: 95 % CI 1.54 – 5.22, respectively]. Furthermore, we also found significant associations between PCUD and ADHD, ASD and ID when interacting with LBW, and PTB. Conclusions: Maternal prenatal CUD is associated with a higher risk of ADHD, ASD, and ID in offspring. The effect of maternal CUD on neurodevelopmental disorders was also found to be stronger when mothers also reported smoking during pregnancy, compared to the individual effects of cannabis use or smoking alone. The findings highlight the importance of implementing preventive strategies to reduce cannabis use in pregnancy. Disclosure of Interest: None Declared [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The existing epidemiological evidence on the link between maternal depression and the risk of attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms in children lacks consistency. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to comprehensively synthesise the existing evidence on the relationship between maternal depression during the antenatal and postnatal periods and the risk of ADHD symptoms in offspring., Methods: We systematically searched PubMed, Medline, Embase, Scopus, CINAHL, and PsychINFO to identify relevant articles. Random-effects meta-analysis models were employed to estimate the pooled odds ratio (OR) along with 95 % confidence intervals (CI). Statistical heterogeneity was assessed using Cochrane's Q-test and I2-test. Subgroup analysis was conducted to explore potential sources of variation within the included studies. Publication bias was assessed using a funnel plot and Egger's test for regression asymmetry., Results: Twenty-one observational studies, comprising 796,157 mother-offspring pairs, were included in the final analysis. Our meta-analysis found a 67 % (OR = 1.67, 95 % CI = 1.35-2.00) and a 53 % (OR = 1.53, 95 % CI = 1.27-1.78) increased risk of ADHD symptoms in the offspring of mothers experiencing antenatal and postnatal depression, respectively., Conclusion: Our systematic review and meta-analysis identified an elevated risk of ADHD symptoms in the offspring of mothers who experienced both antenatal and postnatal depression. These findings underscore the importance of early screening and targeted intervention programs for at-risk children and adolescents., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors collectively confirm that they do not have any conflicting interests to disclose., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: While the physical health consequence of short interpregnancy intervals (IPIs) is well documented, its mental health impact is not well explored. This study aimed to examine the associations between IPIs and behavioural outcomes in children born following the interval at four developmental time points between ages 7 and 16., Methods: Our study sample comprised participants in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) cohort, an ongoing population-based longitudinal birth cohort in Bristol, Avon, United Kingdom. Behavioural problems, including total behavioural difficulties, hyperactivity, emotional symptoms, conduct problems, peer-problems, and problems of pro-social behaviour, were assessed using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Over 2300 mothers and their singleton children were included in this study. Generalized Estimating Equations (GEE) were used to estimate odds ratios for the associations., Results: Children born to mothers with short IPI (<6 months) were 1.54 (95%CI: 1.12-2.11), 1.42 (95% CI: 1.12-1.81) and 1.37 (95%CI: 1.04-1.79) times more likely to have total behavioural difficulties, conduct problems and hyperactivity/inattention problems across the child's age, respectively, compared with children of mothers with IPIs of 18-23 months. We found no evidence of associations between short IPI (<6 months) and emotional symptoms, peer-relationship problems and pro-social behaviour problems., Conclusion: Short IPI (<6 months) was associated with externalising (conduct and hyperactivity/inattention) but not internalising (emotional and peer-relationship problems) problems. Further studies are needed to confirm this association and elucidate the underlying mechanisms., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest All authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Maternal adiposity (overweight or obesity) has been associated with adverse perinatal outcomes, although the potential risks of long-term neuropsychiatric and behavioral outcomes in the offspring remain unclear. Using the PRISMA guidelines, we searched PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, and Web of Science to identify studies on maternal adiposity and offspring neuropsychiatric outcomes. Inverse variance-weighted random-effects meta-analyses were used to pool effect estimates with 95 % confidence intervals (95 % CIs) from adjusted odds ratios (OR) and hazard ratios (HR). Estimates were computed separately for preconception and pregnancy maternal overweight and obesity, with outcomes stratified by the type of neuropsychiatric outcome. In our meta-analyses of 42 epidemiological studies involving 3,680,937 mother-offspring pairs, we found increased risks of ADHD [OR=1.57, 95 % CI: 1.42-1.74], autism spectrum disorder [OR=1.42, 95 % CI: 1.22-1.65], conduct disorder [OR=1.16, 95 % CI: 1.00-1.35], Psychotic disorder [HR=1.61, 95 % CI: 1.41-1.83], externalizing behaviors [OR=1.30, 95 % CI: 1.07-1.56] and peer relationship problems [OR=1.25, 95 % CI: 1.04-1.27] in the offspring of preconception obese mothers. Similar increased risks were found in the offspring of preconception overweight mothers and those exposed to maternal adiposity during pregnancy. However, no association was found with offspring mood, anxiety, personality, eating, sleep disorders or prosocial problems. Preconception weight management may mitigate such adverse effects in the offspring., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: We tested for the potential associations between maternal antenatal cannabis use disorders (CUD) and neonatal health outcomes using large linked administrative data., Design: Population-based retrospective cohort study., Setting: The study was conducted in New South Wales, Australia., Population or Sample: A total of 215 879 singleton live births., Methods: Generalised linear models (GLMs) fitted using log-binomial regression to estimate risk ratios (RRs) with the corresponding 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). Additionally, we conducted a propensity score matching (PSM) analysis., Main Outcome Measures: The outcomes include preterm births (PTB), low birth weight (LBW), small for gestational age (SGA), 5-min lower Apgar scores and admission to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU)., Results: In unmatched analyses, antenatal CUD was associated with increased risks for all adverse neonatal outcomes (adjusted risk ratio [RR] ranging from 1.47 [95% CI: 1.01, 2.14] for 5-min lower APGAR scores to 2.58 [95% CI 2.28, 2.91] for PTB). In PSM analyses, we observed slightly attenuated risks of PTB (RR = 1.98 [1.70, 2.31]), LBW (RR = 2.46 [2.13, 2.84]), SGA (RR = 1.84 [1.44, 2.35]) and admission to NICU (RR = 1.91 [1.49, 2.45]) after matching by covariates. However, we found no significant association between antenatal CUD and 5-min low APGAR scores (RR = 1.47 [0.94, 2.30])., Conclusion: We found that maternal antenatal exposure to CUD is associated with a range of adverse neonatal outcomes. This study highlights that targeted interventions focusing on antenatal counselling are recommended to mitigate risks associated with maternal cannabis use., (© 2024 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: Evidence indicates that criminal behaviour in youth is linked with a range of negative physical, mental, and social health consequences. Despite a global decrease over the last 30 years, youth crime remains prevalent. Identifying and mapping the most robust risk and protective factors, and intervention strategies for youth crime could offer important keys for predicting future offense outcomes and assist in developing effective preventive and early intervention strategies. Current reviews in the area do not include literature discussing at risk populations such as First Nations groups from countries such as Australia, Canada and New Zealand. This is a critical gap given the disproportionally high rates of incarceration and youth detention among First Nations people globally, particularly in countries with a colonial past. The aim of this scoping review is to identify and map the key risk and protective factors, along with intervention strategies, that are essential for recognizing adolescents and young adults at risk of crime., Methods: This scoping review protocol has been developed in line with the Arksey and O'Malley framework and the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Reviewers' Manual. The review protocol was preregistered with Open Science Framework (https://osf.io/kg4q3). ProQuest, PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and PsycInfo were used to retrieve relevant articles. Grey literature was searched using Google searches and ProQuest dissertations databases. Original research articles examining protective factors, risk factors, and intervention strategies for prevention and reduction of crime in 12-24-year-olds were included. Two independent reviewers conducted eligibility decisions and data extraction. Findings has been reported in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews., Conclusion: Anticipated findings suggest that current research has extensively examined factors across all levels of the socioecological model, from individual to community levels, revealing a predominant focus on individual-level predictors such as substance use, prior criminal history, and moral development. The review is expected to identify effective interventions that address critical factors within each domain, including Multisystemic Therapy (MST) and Multidimensional Treatment Foster Care (MTFC), which have shown promise in reducing youth crime. Additionally, it will likely highlight significant trends in risk and protective factors, such as the dual role of academic achievement-both as a risk and protective factor-and the impact of family-based interventions. The review will also address gaps in research, particularly regarding Indigenous youth, underscoring the need for targeted studies to better understand their unique challenges. These findings will guide future research and inform the development of comprehensive prevention and early intervention programs tailored to diverse youth populations., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Rooney et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Aims: To identify a subgroup of mothers at high risk of preterm delivery, defined by empirical classes of multimorbidity and recurrence across three consecutive births., Methods: The data were extracted from the perinatal data collection (PDC) of all inpatient live births (n = 435 912) occurring in the Australian state of Queensland between January 2009 and December 2015. Within this data, a total of 7714 primiparous mothers delivered three consecutive singleton live births (total births = 23 142), and comprise the sample for all analyses., Results: The LCA indicated a four-class solution fit the data best at each time point, including (i) a 'normative' or healthy class with little morbidity (including >80% of the sample at each birth); (ii) a preterm, high morbidity class (<2% of the sample); (ii) a delivery morbidity class (4-8% of the sample); and (iii) preterm, low morbidity class (5-6% of the sample). Each group exhibited unique and consistent associations with maternal and pregnancy-related factors across births. After accounting for these factors, the high morbidity class and preterm, low morbidity class strongly predicted these same classes across consecutive births, and from birth 1 to birth 3 (second-order transition)., Conclusions: A small but highly morbid class of neonatal deliveries emerged, exhibiting strong continuity across consecutive births (odds ratios >10), independent of a range of maternal and pregnancy-related factors. This group of women, if subject to further investigation, could provide valuable insight into the aetiology of prematurity and associated morbidity, perhaps providing information to improve birth outcomes among all women., (© 2024 The Author(s). Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Paediatrics and Child Health Division (The Royal Australasian College of Physicians).)

A cross-sectoral partnership was formed in 2021 in support of the recommendations in an audit on access to state-funded mental health services. In this first paper, we aimed to describe the demographic and service utilisation of adults with a mental health diagnosis in the Western Australian state-funded health system from 2005 to 2021. Inpatient, emergency department, specialised (ambulatory) community mental health service, and death records were linked in individuals aged ≥ 18 years with a mental health diagnosis in Western Australia. Altogether, 392,238 individuals with at least one mental health service contact between 1st January 2005 and 31st December 2021 were included for analysis. Females, Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people, and those who lived outside major cities or in the most disadvantaged areas were more likely to access state-funded mental health services. While the number of individuals who accessed community mental health services increased over time (from 28,769 in 2005 to 50,690 in 2021), the percentage increase relative to 2005 was notably greater for emergency department attendances (127% for emergency department; 76% for community; and 63% for inpatient). Conditions that contributed to the increase for emergency department were mainly alcohol disorder, reaction to severe stress and adjustment disorders, and anxiety disorders. Sex differences were observed between conditions. The pattern of access increased for emergency department and the community plus emergency department combination. This study confirmed that the patterns of access of state-funded mental health services have changed markedly over time and the potential drivers underlying these changes warrant further investigation., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: This study was approved by the Department of Health Western Australia Human Research Ethics Committee (approval number: RGS0000004782) and the Curtin University Human Research Ethics Committee (approval number: HRE2022-0001). A waiver of consent was sought for the project. Consent for Publication: This manuscript followed the Reporting of studies Conducted using Observational Routinely-collected Data (RECORDS) statement ( https://www.record-statement.org/checklist.php ). Competing Interests: The authors have no competing interests to declare that are relevant to this article., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Introduction: Several systematic reviews and meta-analyses have been conducted on the risk and protective factors of youth crime. This study aims to consolidate this evidence using an umbrella review methodology., Methods: A systematic electronic search was conducted using multiple electronic databases. Strength of associations was evaluated using quantitative umbrella review criteria, and AMSTAR was used to assess the quality of the studies., Results: Among the 58 factors identified, 11 factors were supported by highly suggestive or suggestive evidence. Evidence of association was highly suggestive (class II) for substance use (odds ratio [OR] = 2·29, 95%CI 1·58-3.01), previous history of crime (OR = 2·03, 95%CI 1·62-2·45), moral development (OR = 3·98, 95%CI 3·57-4·39), psychopathology (OR = 2·22, 95%CI 1.40-2.69), adverse childhood experiences (OR = 1·37, 95%CI = 1·36-1·38), poor parental supervision (OR = 1·85, 95%CI 1·83-1·87), maltreatment or neglect (OR = 1·34, 95%CI 1·08-1·65), attachment (OR = 1·94; 95%CI 1.93-1·95), and school bullying (OR = 2·50; 95%CI 2·03-3·08); and suggestive (class III) for peer pressure (OR = 2·11, 95%CI 2·06-2·16) and supportive school environments (OR = 0·56; 95%CI 0·55-0·57)., Conclusion: The evidence-based atlas of key risk and protective factors identified in this umbrella review could be used as a benchmark for advancing research, prevention, and early intervention strategies for youth crime., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest None., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Background: Research exploring the relationship between prenatal infection and child behavioural outcomes would benefit from further studies utilising full-population samples with the scale to investigate specific infections and to employ robust designs. We tested the association among several common infections requiring inpatient admission during and after pregnancy with a range of childhood behavioural outcomes, to determine whether any negative impact was specific to the period of foetal development., Methods: The sample included all mother-offspring pairs from the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW) for whom the child commenced their first year of full-time schooling in 2009 (~age 5 years; n = 77,302 offspring), with records linked across four health administrative data sets including the NSW perinatal data collection (PDC), the NSW admitted patient data collection (APDC) and the NSW component of the 2009 Australian Early Development Census (AEDC). Multivariable linear regression was used to test associations between a number of infections requiring inpatient admission during and after pregnancy with a range of teacher assessed behavioural outcomes., Results: Associations specific to the prenatal period were only found for streptococcus A although this would need to be reproduced in external samples given the low prevalence. Otherwise, 12 out of 15 selected infections either showed no association prenatally or also demonstrated associations in the 12 months after pregnancy. For example, prenatal hepatitis C, influenza and urinary E. coli infections were associated with lower scores of several domains of childhood behaviour, but even stronger associations were found when these same maternal infections occurred after pregnancy., Conclusions: The prenatal infections we tested appeared not to impact childhood behaviour by altering foetal neurodevelopment. Rather, the strong associations we found among infections occurring during and after pregnancy point to either residual socioeconomic/lifestyle factors or a shared familial/genetic liability between infections and behavioural problems., (© 2024 The Authors. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health.)

This study aimed to investigate the association between pre-pregnancy, prenatal and perinatal exposures to cannabis use disorder (CUD) and the risk of autism spectrum disoder (ASD) in offspring. Data were drawn from the New South Wales (NSW) Perinatal Data Collection (PDC), population-based, linked administrative health data encompassing all-live birth cohort from January 2003 to December 2005. This study involved 222 534 mother-offspring pairs. . The exposure variable (CUD) and the outcome of interest (ASD) were identified using the 10th international disease classification criteria, Australian Modified (ICD-10-AM). We found a three-fold increased risk of ASD in the offspring of mothers with maternal CUD compared to non-exposed offspring. In our sensitivity analyses, male offspring have a higher risk of ASD associated with maternal CUD than their female counterparts. In conclusion, exposure to maternal CUD is linked to a higher risk of ASD in offspring, with a stronger risk in male offspring. Further research is needed to understand these gender-specific effects and the relationship between maternal CUD and ASD risk in children., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest All authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Previous epidemiological studies examining the prospective association between maternal prenatal tobacco smoking and offspring academic achievement have reported conflicting results. Therefore, this systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to examine the magnitude and consistency of association reported by those studies., Methods: This systematic review and meta-analysis was guided by the PRISMA protocol. Relevant epidemiological studies on the topic were extracted from four main databases (PubMed/Medline, Embase, PsycINFO, and Scopus). The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) was used to appraise the methodological quality of the included studies. We conducted a narrative assessment of the studies that did not report effect estimates. Inverse variance-weighted random effect meta-analysis was used to combine studies reporting effect sizes to estimate pooled adjusted odds ratio with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). The review was prospectively registered in PROSPERO (CRD42022350901)., Results: Nineteen observational studies, published between 1973 and 2021 with a total of 1.25 million study participants were included in the final review. Of these, fifteen studies (79 %) reported reduced academic achievement in offspring exposed to maternal prenatal tobacco smoking. The eight primary studies (sample size = 723,877) included in the meta-analysis together suggested a 49 % higher risk of reduced academic achievement in offspring exposed to maternal prenatal tobacco smoking when compared to non-exposed offspring (Pooled odds ratio = 1.49, 95 % CI:1.17-1.91)., Conclusion: Our review found a positive association between maternal prenatal tobacco smoking and offspring reduced academic achievement. However, variation in the adjustment of potential confounders and significant heterogeneity across included studies limited more conclusive inference. Mechanistic studies to identify causal pathways and specific academic impacts are needed to inform targeted developmental programs to assist child learning and academic performance., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Background: It is important to explore factors that may hinder early childhood development in AEDC Emotional Maturity and Social Competence domains as these underpin the foundation for health, well-being, and productivity over the life course. No previous study has examined whether, or to what extent, preeclampsia increases the risk of developmental vulnerability in social and emotional domains in early childhood., Methods: We conducted a retrospective population-based cohort study on the association between preeclampsia and childhood developmental vulnerability in emotional maturity and social competence domains in children born in Western Australia in 2009, 2012 and 2015. We obtained records of births, developmental anomalies, midwives notifications and hospitalisations. These data were linked to the Australian Early Development Census (AEDC), from which developmental vulnerability in emotional maturity and social competence domains at a median age of 5 years was ascertained. Causal relative risks (RR) were estimated with doubly robust estimation., Results: A total of 64,391 mother-offspring pairs were included in the final analysis. For the whole cohort, approximately 25 % and 23 % of children were classified as developmentally vulnerable or at-risk on AEDC emotional maturity and social competence domains, respectively. Approximately 2.8 % of children were exposed in utero to preeclampsia. Children exposed to preeclampsia were more likely to be classified as developmentally vulnerable or at-risk on the emotional maturity (RR = 1.19, 95%CI:1.11-1.28) and social competence domains (RR = 1.22, 95 % CI:1.13-1.31)., Conclusion: Children exposed to pre-eclampsia in utero were more likely to be developmentally vulnerable in emotional maturity and social competence domains in this cohort. Our findings provide new insights into the harmful effect of preeclampsia on childhood developmental vulnerability., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)