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Seamas C Donnelly, Maternal papillomavirus infection during pregnancy and enhanced subsequent risk of developing neurodevelopmental disorders in their offspring, QJM: An International Journal of Medicine, Volume 118, Issue 3, March 2025, Page 141, https://doi.org/10.1093/qjmed/hcaf079
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The QJM has provided a platform in recent years for publishing research on maternal risk factors in pregnancy that are associated with subsequent health risks in their offspring.1–3 We therefore wellcome the article by Dr Li and colleagues from the National Defense Medical School, Taiwan where they highlight the association between maternal papillomavirus infection during pregnancy and enhanced subsequent risk of developing neurodevelopmental disorders, and in particular, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in their offspring.
The lifetime prevalence of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is estimated at up to 80%, and it is the most common sexually transmitted infection. HPV-associated cancer, particularly anogenital tract, is well described. There is an expanding recent body of work associating HPV infection with the development of mental health disorders in those infected. In this study, the authors analysed 7762 HPV-infected patients and a control group of 31 048 derived from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research database. They found a significant association with HPV infection and the subsequent development of ADHD in their offspring (hazard ratio: 1.79, 95% confidence interval: 1.28–2.51). These findings highlight the importance of HPV vaccination to maintain an HPV-naïve status. School-based vaccination programmes targeting prepubertal girls and boys prior to sexual activity are highly effective in preventing infections with broad coverage.
