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Maternal Exposure to Childhood Abuse and Disparities in Offspring Neurodevelopment: Identifying Mechanisms

Award Number: R01HD094725
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF CHILD HEALTH AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)

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Project Summary Children of women exposed to childhood abuse exhibit increased risk for a wide array of neurodevelopmental deficits, including elevated risk of anxiety, depression, and social problems. Our studies have found that these children had a more than three-fold higher risk of autism and 70% higher risk of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Animal studies similarly find that maternal exposure to stressors is associated with offspring anxiety, depressive symptoms, and attention problems and decreased social behavior. Neurodevelopmental disorders are common and carry lifelong, costly burdens. Yet, extant research has failed to identify pathways by which children of women abused are at risk of harm. Identification of such pathways is a critical step in preventing neurodevelopmental deficits in these children. The present research focuses on three likely pathways that have largely been unexamined. We will identify biological dysregulation during pregnancy in women exposed versus unexposed to abuse in two systems: hormonal function and immune function. Dysregulation in these biological systems is known to harm offspring neurodevelopment and is present in adults who have experienced childhood abuse, yet it is largely unknown whether dysregulation in these systems occurs during the pregnancies of women exposure to abuse. We will collect biological samples to measure the functioning of these systems in a large, prospective cohort of pregnant women. Second, we will examine whether women who experienced abuse carry higher genetic loading for neuropsychiatric disorders by calculating genetic risk scores for 5 disorders including autism and ADHD in more than 8000 women. Genetically informed studies indicate that genetic variation plays a role in increased risk of negative neurodevelopmental outcomes in children of women abused. However, to date no studies have used genome- wide data to address this question. Our proposed study is uniquely suited to greatly expand our understanding of how childhood abuse affects health across generations and to inform interventions to protect the healthy development of children. This information is critical to establish public health priorities and to determine the optimal type and timing of interventions to prevent neurodevelopmental harm to children.


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2025 ( Subtotal = $0 )
2025	2024	HARVARD COLLEGE PRESIDENT & FELLOWS OF	677 HUNTINGTON AVE	BOSTON	MA	02115	SUFFOLK	USA	Child Health and Human Development Extramural Research	000	5	3/5/2025	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$0
														Subtotal = $0

Issue Date FY: 2024 ( Subtotal = $547,791 )
2024	2024	HARVARD COLLEGE PRESIDENT & FELLOWS OF	677 HUNTINGTON AVE	BOSTON	MA	02115	SUFFOLK	USA	Child Health and Human Development Extramural Research	001	5	5/3/2024	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$49,798
2024	2024	HARVARD COLLEGE PRESIDENT & FELLOWS OF	677 HUNTINGTON AVE	BOSTON	MA	02115	SUFFOLK	USA	Child Health and Human Development Extramural Research	000	5	3/29/2024	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$497,993
														Subtotal = $547,791

Issue Date FY: 2023 ( Subtotal = $661,717 )
2023	2023	HARVARD COLLEGE PRESIDENT & FELLOWS OF	677 HUNTINGTON AVE	BOSTON	MA	02115	SUFFOLK	USA	Child Health and Human Development Extramural Research	000	4	3/14/2023	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$661,717
														Subtotal = $661,717

Issue Date FY: 2022 ( Subtotal = $0 )
2022	2021	PRESIDENT AND FELLOWS OF HARVARD COLLEGE	677 HUNTINGTON AVE	BOSTON	MA	02115	SUFFOLK	USA	Child Health and Human Development Extramural Research	000	3	3/31/2022	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$0
														Subtotal = $0

Issue Date FY: 2021 ( Subtotal = $671,122 )
2021	2021	PRESIDENT AND FELLOWS OF HARVARD COLLEGE	677 HUNTINGTON AVE	BOSTON	MA	02115	SUFFOLK	USA	Child Health and Human Development Extramural Research	000	3	3/30/2021	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$671,122
														Subtotal = $671,122

Issue Date FY: 2020 ( Subtotal = $1,270,275 )
2020	2020	PRESIDENT AND FELLOWS OF HARVARD COLLEGE	677 HUNTINGTON AVE	BOSTON	MA	02115	SUFFOLK	USA	Child Health and Human Development Extramural Research	000	2	4/14/2020	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$696,141
2020	2020	PRESIDENT AND FELLOWS OF HARVARD COLLEGE	677 HUNTINGTON AVE	BOSTON	MA	02115	SUFFOLK	USA	Child Health and Human Development Extramural Research	001	2	9/15/2020	SUPPLEMENT FOR EXPANSION	$574,134
														Subtotal = $1,270,275

Issue Date FY: 2019 ( Subtotal = $735,617 )
2019	2019	PRESIDENT AND FELLOWS OF HARVARD COLLEGE	677 HUNTINGTON AVE	BOSTON	MA	02115	SUFFOLK	USA	Child Health and Human Development Extramural Research	000	1	2/13/2019	NEW	$735,617
														Subtotal = $735,617

Grand Total All Awards = $3,886,522

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Maternal Exposure to Childhood Abuse and Disparities in Offspring Neurodevelopment: Identifying Mechanisms

Award Number: R01HD094725

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF CHILD HEALTH AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)

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