Source: USA Today
A new study published by Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health shows that women who contract a fever during their pregnancy are more likely to have a child with autism.
Of the 15,700 cases that were examined in which women had fevers during their pregnancies, nearly 600 of the children were diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder.
Overall, women who developed a fever over 99 degrees during their pregnancy increased the risk of their child being diagnosed with autism by 34%.
However, those who became ill during their second trimester increased the risk of autism to 40%.
“Future work should focus on identifying and preventing prenatal infections and inflammatory responses that may contribute to autism spectrum disorder,” explained senior author of the study W. Ian Lipkin.
Read full story at: USA Today