Common pregnancy complication linked to childhood seizures
A new study by University of Iowa Health Care researchers has found that gestational hypertension, which affects about 16 per cent of US pregnancies, is associated with an increased risk of seizures in children.
The study, published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, utilized clinical databases containing over 246 million patients and lab mice studies.
Researchers found that children born to mothers with high blood pressure during pregnancy had significantly higher rates of seizures.
Mice testing confirmed increased seizure sensitivity and death due to seizures in offspring exposed to gestational hypertension in the womb.
The study also indicated that male offspring were more vulnerable and that brain inflammation played a significant role in the disease process, suggesting it may also do so in human children.
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