Platform for the Prospective Mother-child Study of the Determinants of Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Recruiting now

Conditions studied: Autism Spectrum Disorder, Neurodevelopmental Disorders

In brief

Neurodevelopmental disorders such as attention deficit disorder with or without hyperactivity, autism spectrum disorder, language and social communication disorder, motor coordination disorder, learning disorder (dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysorthography), intellectual development disorder are frequent and long-lasting developmental difficulties that can be observed in children in various domains. They are often associated and have a significant impact on daily functioning at school and at home. The rate of people affected by neurodevelopmental disorders including autism spectrum disorder have increased significantly over the past 20 years. Improved screening only partly explains this evolution. A genetic predisposition plays an important role in the occurrence of these disorders, however, current scientific data suggest a multifactorial origin. Exposures such as those related to the use of pesticides, air pollution or the presence of endocrine disruptors in our diet could be involved in the genesis of neurodevelopmental disorders, particularly during intrauterine life, a period of great vulnerability. The current diagnostic pathways for autism rarely enable the early identification of babies at risk. Without early detection and timely targeted intervention, these children have a poor health outcome and do not reach their full potential. The general objective of the MARIANNE cohort is to constitute a French research infrastructure dedicated to research on the biological and environmental determinants of neurodevelopmental disorders including autism. This cohort is based on the follow-up of 1200 families with already a child affected by an autism spectrum disorder, which implies a high risk of neurodevelopmental disorders including autism spectrum disorder for the siblings, and of 500 families from the general population with no excess risk of neurodevelopmental disorders. The total number of subjects to be included (mother, father, unborn child and ASD sibling for the HR group) is thus 6300. The inclusion of these families will be at the beginning of a new pregnancy and the follow-up will be carried out from the second trimester of pregnancy until the children are 6 years old, the age at which the diagnosis of neurodevelopmental disorders is possible. Biological, clinical, social and environmental data will be collected at different stages of the follow-up and will be included into a large database.

Key facts

Study ID: NCT05681923
Run by: University Hospital, Montpellier
People needed: 7320
Starts: 2023-04-19
Expected to finish: 2034-03-01
Last updated by the study team: 2026-06-22

Who can join

Age: any. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: accepted.

You may qualify if…

General inclusion criteria (High risk and Low risk cohorts)
Mother:
Be pregnant (single or multiple pregnancy), at least 16 weeks of amenorrhea,
Have at least one biological child of 24 months or older,
At least 18 years of age
Father:
Be the biological father of the unborn child,
At least 18 years of age
Unborn Child:
Have a woman study participant as mother.
Specific inclusion criteria for the High risk cohort:
Autistic sibling: refers to the biological child(ren) of the mother and/or father participating in the study and being the parent(s) of the unborn child
Be at least 24 months old and less than 18 years old,
Have a confirmed diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder based on medical records. If in doubt, the SRS-2 (Social Responsiveness Scale for Adults) and PEDS-DM (Parents' Evaluation of developmental status) questionnaires will be completed. Only children with positive scores on one of these questionnaires will be included after validation of the diagnosis by an expert committee,
In case of several children with Autism Spectrum Disorder based in the siblings, only the last born will be included.
Remarks:
Autism Spectrum Disorder siblings resulting from a medically assisted procreation are eligible provided that part of the genetic heritage is common to that of the mother or father of the unborn child participating in the study.
If the father does not live with the mother of the unborn child, his participation is not required and does not preclude the participation of other family members.

You may not qualify if…

General non-inclusion criteria (High risk and Low risk cohorts):
Father and mother:
Unable to understand French or the study questionnaires
Participant on protective measures (guardianship or curatorship) or deprived of liberty by judicial or administrative decision, or subject to a legal protection measure
Not affiliated to a social security system
Refusal to participate. In the case of consent given for the born and unborn child, the consent must be given by the person(s) with parental authority.
Live at a distance from the recruitment center incompatible with follow-up.
Specific non-inclusion criteria for the Low risk cohort:
Mother and/or father of unborn child:
Have a biological child with a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder or other neuro developmental disorder

Where it is running

CHU Montpellier — Montpellier, France (enrolling)

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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