Frontiers in Human Neuroscience (Feb 2024)

Maternal hsa-miR-423-5p associated with the cognitive development of babies in pregnant women without mental disorders

  • Cainá Corrêa do Amaral,
  • Fernanda Nedel,
  • Camila Perelló Ferrúa,
  • Tiago Fernandez Garcia,
  • Geovanna Peter Corrêa,
  • Roberta Giorgi,
  • Aline Longoni dos Santos,
  • Adriano Martimbianco de Assis,
  • Luciana de Avila Quevedo,
  • Gabriele Cordenonzi Ghisleni,
  • Mariana Bonati de Matos,
  • Karen Amaral Tavares Pinheiro,
  • Jéssica Puchalski Trettim,
  • Ricardo Tavares Pinheiro

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2024.1322820
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 18

Abstract

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BackgroundMicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs capable of regulating gene expression post-transcriptionally. MiRNAs are recognized as key regulators of diverse biological and developmental processes. During the pregnancy–puerperal cycle, numerous changes occur in the female body for the formation, growth, and development of the baby. After birth, there is a critical period in child development, as rapid gains in the physical, cognitive, and socio-emotional domains constitute the “building blocks” of children’s later growth.ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to investigate the association between maternal expression of hsa-miR-423-5p during the first and second trimesters of pregnancy and neurocognitive development at 90 days of life in infants. Methods: This is a longitudinal study included in a population-based cohort study, carried out in a city in southern Brazil. The Bayley III was used to assess the babies’ cognitive development. Blood samples from mothers were obtained for RNA extraction from serum and analysis of miRNA expression by qRT-PCR.ResultsIn total, 87 dyads (mother–baby) were included. The average gestational age was 15.86 weeks (SD ± 5.55). An association of maternal miRNA with infant cognitive development was found; as maternal miR-423-5p increases, infants’ cognitive development increases by 2.40 (95% CI 0.37; 4.43, p = 0.021) points at 3 months of age.ConclusionIn this context, it is suggested to use this miRNA as a biomarker of child neurocognitive development detectable in the prenatal period, thus allowing the planning of early interventions.

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