Parental Prenatal Symptoms of Depression and Offspring Symptoms of ADHD: A Genetically Informed Intergenerational Study

Espen Moen Eilertsen; Laurie J. Hannigan; Tom A. McAdams; Fruhling V. Rijsdijk; Nikolai Czajkowski; Ted Reichborn-Kjennerud; Eivind Ystrom; Line C. Gjerde

doi:10.1177/1087054720914386

Parental Prenatal Symptoms of Depression and Offspring Symptoms of ADHD: A Genetically Informed Intergenerational Study

Espen Moen Eilertsen^*, Laurie J. Hannigan, Tom A. McAdams, Fruhling V. Rijsdijk, Nikolai Czajkowski, Ted Reichborn-Kjennerud, Eivind Ystrom, Line C. Gjerde

^*Corresponding author for this work

Social Genetic & Developmental Psychiatry

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

10 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Objective: The primary aim of the present study was to separate the direct effect of maternal prenatal depression on offspring ADHD from the passive transmission of genetic liability. Method: A children-of-twins and siblings design including 17,070 extended-family units participating in the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study was used. Self-ratings were obtained from parents using the Symptom Checklist during pregnancy. Maternal ratings using Conner’s Parent Rating Scale were obtained when the children were 5 years of age. Results: Genetic influences were important for explaining similarity between parents and offspring. There was also evidence for a maternal effect after accounting for genetic transmission (m = 0.06, 95% confidence interval [CI] = [0.02, 0.09]). Conclusion: Our results were consistent with hypotheses suggesting that maternal prenatal depression influences symptoms of ADHD in offspring. However, the effect was weak and a substantial portion of the association could be accounted for by shared genetic influences.

Original language	English
Journal	Journal of Attention Disorders
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1177/1087054720914386
Publication status	Accepted/In press - 1 Jan 2020

Keywords

ADHD symptoms
children-of-twins
heritability
intergenerational transmission
prenatal depression

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10.1177/1087054720914386

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@article{9b62ebb26e0a4b6abf1dbedfddf5d426,

title = "Parental Prenatal Symptoms of Depression and Offspring Symptoms of ADHD: A Genetically Informed Intergenerational Study",

abstract = "Objective: The primary aim of the present study was to separate the direct effect of maternal prenatal depression on offspring ADHD from the passive transmission of genetic liability. Method: A children-of-twins and siblings design including 17,070 extended-family units participating in the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study was used. Self-ratings were obtained from parents using the Symptom Checklist during pregnancy. Maternal ratings using Conner{\textquoteright}s Parent Rating Scale were obtained when the children were 5 years of age. Results: Genetic influences were important for explaining similarity between parents and offspring. There was also evidence for a maternal effect after accounting for genetic transmission (m = 0.06, 95% confidence interval [CI] = [0.02, 0.09]). Conclusion: Our results were consistent with hypotheses suggesting that maternal prenatal depression influences symptoms of ADHD in offspring. However, the effect was weak and a substantial portion of the association could be accounted for by shared genetic influences.",

keywords = "ADHD symptoms, children-of-twins, heritability, intergenerational transmission, prenatal depression",

author = "Eilertsen, {Espen Moen} and Hannigan, {Laurie J.} and McAdams, {Tom A.} and Rijsdijk, {Fruhling V.} and Nikolai Czajkowski and Ted Reichborn-Kjennerud and Eivind Ystrom and Gjerde, {Line C.}",

year = "2020",

month = jan,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1177/1087054720914386",

language = "English",

journal = "Journal of Attention Disorders",

issn = "1087-0547",

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T1 - Parental Prenatal Symptoms of Depression and Offspring Symptoms of ADHD

T2 - A Genetically Informed Intergenerational Study

AU - Eilertsen, Espen Moen

AU - Hannigan, Laurie J.

AU - McAdams, Tom A.

AU - Rijsdijk, Fruhling V.

AU - Czajkowski, Nikolai

AU - Reichborn-Kjennerud, Ted

AU - Ystrom, Eivind

AU - Gjerde, Line C.

PY - 2020/1/1

Y1 - 2020/1/1

N2 - Objective: The primary aim of the present study was to separate the direct effect of maternal prenatal depression on offspring ADHD from the passive transmission of genetic liability. Method: A children-of-twins and siblings design including 17,070 extended-family units participating in the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study was used. Self-ratings were obtained from parents using the Symptom Checklist during pregnancy. Maternal ratings using Conner’s Parent Rating Scale were obtained when the children were 5 years of age. Results: Genetic influences were important for explaining similarity between parents and offspring. There was also evidence for a maternal effect after accounting for genetic transmission (m = 0.06, 95% confidence interval [CI] = [0.02, 0.09]). Conclusion: Our results were consistent with hypotheses suggesting that maternal prenatal depression influences symptoms of ADHD in offspring. However, the effect was weak and a substantial portion of the association could be accounted for by shared genetic influences.

AB - Objective: The primary aim of the present study was to separate the direct effect of maternal prenatal depression on offspring ADHD from the passive transmission of genetic liability. Method: A children-of-twins and siblings design including 17,070 extended-family units participating in the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study was used. Self-ratings were obtained from parents using the Symptom Checklist during pregnancy. Maternal ratings using Conner’s Parent Rating Scale were obtained when the children were 5 years of age. Results: Genetic influences were important for explaining similarity between parents and offspring. There was also evidence for a maternal effect after accounting for genetic transmission (m = 0.06, 95% confidence interval [CI] = [0.02, 0.09]). Conclusion: Our results were consistent with hypotheses suggesting that maternal prenatal depression influences symptoms of ADHD in offspring. However, the effect was weak and a substantial portion of the association could be accounted for by shared genetic influences.

KW - ADHD symptoms

KW - children-of-twins

KW - heritability

KW - intergenerational transmission

KW - prenatal depression

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DO - 10.1177/1087054720914386

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JO - Journal of Attention Disorders

JF - Journal of Attention Disorders

ER -

Parental Prenatal Symptoms of Depression and Offspring Symptoms of ADHD: A Genetically Informed Intergenerational Study

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Keywords

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