Maternal Influenza Infection in Pregnancy Tied to Seizures in Offspring
October 19, 2024
Article Published by Medical Xpress
According to a new study, maternal influenza infection during pregnancy is associated with an increased risk for seizures in offspring. Yi-Feng Lee, MD, from Taichung Veterans General Hospital in Taiwan, and colleagues examined the association between maternal influenza infection and risk for childhood seizures in a study of mother-offspring pairs. The primary outcome was the association between maternal influenza infection during pregnancy and risk of any type of seizures during childhood, including both epilepsy and febrile seizures. “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.”