This $686,871 Project Grant awarded by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (CFDA 93.865 - Child Health and Human Development Extramural Research) supports a longitudinal study led by Kaiser Foundation Hospitals' Kaiser Foundation Research Institute to investigate maternal autoantibody reactivity, gestational inflammation, and child neurodevelopment.
The research aims to examine maternal gestational immune and metabolic biomarkers, including autoantibodies to fetal brain proteins, and their associations with neurodevelopmental disorders like autism spectrum disorder and developmental delay in children. The study leverages the unique resources of Kaiser Permanente's pregnancy cohort to conduct this large-scale, comprehensive investigation.
Under a sub-award, the University of California, San Francisco will perform genetic data analyses as part of the study, while the University of California, Davis will provide support services as needed. The research findings are expected to contribute to the development of prenatal and newborn screening to enable earlier intervention and prevention of adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes.