Impacts of Maternal Noise Exposure on Risk of Stillbirth and Oxidative Stress-Induced Neurobehavioral Changes in Offspring

Abstract

Life does not start at birth but at conception. Embryonic development is a particularly difficult period in which genetic and environmental factors can interact to contribute to risk. In utero and early neonatal exposure to maternal stress are linked with psychiatric disorders, and the underlying mechanisms are currently being elucidated. This study examined novel relationships between maternal noise exposure causing oxidative-stress-induced neurobehavioral changes in cognition and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in offspring. Pregnant Wistar albino rats were exposed to noise (100 dBA/4 h). There were three groups of pregnant rats exposed to noise during gestation, as well as a control group: early gestational stress (EGS), which occurs between the 1st and 10th days of pregnancy; late gestational stress (LGS), which occurs between the 11th day and the delivery day; and full-term gestational stress (FGS), which occurs during the entire pregnancy period. Maternal stress effects on the offspring were analyzed. This study observed that noise exposure becomes a psychosocial stressor in the prenatal period of motherhood. In the EGS and LGS groups, female rats showed continuous midterm abortion and stillbirth during noise exposure. The noise-exposed group exhibited significant changes in cognition, obsessive–compulsive behavior, fear, and anxiety. Corticosterone and oxidative stress markers increased, and the antioxidant level was significantly decreased in the noise-exposed group. Therefore, maternal noise exposure causes recurrent abortions and stillbirths, increases oxidative stress, and impairs the offspring’s neurodevelopment.