2. Researchers found that the risk of autism
increased by nearly 70 percent when moms were
obese during their pregnancies, while the risk of
a having a baby with some other
neurodevelopmental disorder doubled, according
to the study published early online Monday in
Pediatrics.
research in San Diego suggests that women who
have diabetes, hypertension, or who are obese
before pregnancy are more likely to have
children with autism. According to Irva Hertz-
Picciotto, PhD, an autism researcher at the
University of California, Davis MIND Institute,
“For mothers with at least one of these
conditions, there was a 60% increased risk for
autism in the offspring…”
3. Approximately 1 in 110 U.S children have autism
spectrum disorder.
Researchers found that mothers of children with
autism were 60% more likely to have one of the
three previously mentioned conditions (obesity,
diabetes, or hypertension).
4. researchers speculated that a metabolic
disruption such as an inflammatory pathway
might be linking these conditions (autism
spectrum disorder or ASD.)
Experts who attended the conference such as
Alycia Halladay, PhD, a researcher for Autism
Speaks, suggest that the best advice for
women who have diabetes, high blood
pressure, or are obese before pregnancy is to
see a high-risk obstetrician.
5. On average, women face a 1 in 88 chance of
having a child with autism; the results
suggest that obesity during pregnancy would
increase that to a 1 in 53 chance, the authors
said.
6. Autism refers to a range of related developmental disorders that
start in childhood and affect the person for their whole life.
Symptoms can be split into three broad groups:
1) Problems with social interaction
2) Impaired language and communication skills
3) Unusual patterns of thought and behavior
People with autism may also be over or under-sensitive to
sounds, touch, taste, smells, light or color.
Symptoms can range from mild to severe but all can cause
anxiety.
While some people with autism can live relatively independent
lives, others may need a lifetime of specialist support.
There is no cure but there are a number of treatments to help
autistic people better cope with the world around them.
Around one in 100 children in the UK have autism spectrum
disorder. It is three times more common among boys than girls.
