Maternal Influenza Infection in Pregnancy Tied to Seizures in Offspring
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter
TUESDAY, Sept. 24, 2024 -- Maternal influenza infection during pregnancy is associated with an increased risk for seizures and febrile convulsions in offspring, according to a study published online Sept. 23 in JAMA Network Open.
Yi-Feng Lee, M.D., from Taichung Veterans General Hospital in Taiwan, and colleagues examined the association between maternal influenza infection and risk for childhood seizures in a cohort study of 1,316,107 mother-offspring pairs, identified from Jan. 1, 2004, to Dec. 31, 2013. Mothers who had influenza during pregnancy and their offspring were assigned to the influenza group (75,835 mothers) and matched in a 1:4 ratio with mothers without influenza during pregnancy.
The researchers found that the prevalence of placenta previa or abruption was slightly higher in the influenza group versus the control group (1.6 versus 1.4 percent). Offspring whose mothers had influenza infection had a higher cumulative risk for seizures. The adjusted hazard ratios (95 percent confidence intervals) were 1.09 (1.05 to 1.14), 1.11 (1.06 to 1.17), and 1.04 (0.97 to 1.13) for seizures, febrile convulsions, and epilepsy, respectively, after controlling for potential confounders.
"The findings of this study suggest that maternal influenza infection during pregnancy might increase the risk of childhood seizures, especially febrile seizures, but not epilepsy," the authors write. "Further studies are needed to elucidate the mechanisms underlying childhood neurological development."
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted September 2024
Read this next
Opportunistic Community Screening IDs Uncontrolled Cardiovascular Risk Factors
FRIDAY, Aug. 15, 2025 -- Opportunistic pop-up community screening identifies a high prevalence of uncontrolled cardiovascular risk factors, according to a study published online...
Missed Opportunity Common in Patients With High-Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer
FRIDAY, Aug. 15, 2025 -- A considerable proportion of patients with high-grade serous cancer (HGSC) have missed opportunities for risk assessment with genetic testing and for...
EHR Notes Reveal Potential Racial Bias in Doctors' Perception of Patient Credibility
FRIDAY, Aug. 15, 2025 -- An analysis of more than 13 million electronic health record (EHR) notes shows potential racial bias in how doctors document patient trustworthiness...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.