A new study found that in children whose mothers suffered severe morning toxicosis during pregnancy, an autism spectrum disorder was diagnosed by 53%. And of course, one cannot ignore these conclusions.
However, it is important to keep in mind that we are not talking about toxicosis at all. Kaiser Permanente authors say that to significantly increase the risk of autism in a child, a pregnant woman should suffer from Hyperemesis gravidarum (vomiting of pregnant women) – a pathological condition characteristic of early toxicosis, which only 5% of expectant mothers face.
But the shift of attention from the entire sample to its part does not detract from the significance of the results, scientists are sure. “Awareness of this association may provide an opportunity for earlier diagnosis and preventive intervention,” they write in the American Journal of Perinatology, where the study was published.
Here is what else an analysis of the data of 500,000 pregnant women revealed:
- The risk of autism in a child increased only when Hyperemesis gravidarum was diagnosed in the first and second (but not in the third) trimester;
- If Hyperemesis gravidarum was diagnosed, then the risk of autism increased by the same 53% in the state of any severity;
- The association between maternal Hyperemesis gravidarum and child autism risk was stronger for girls than for boys;
- Medicines designed to stabilize Hyperemesis gravidarum did not affect overall risks.
As for the causes of the dangerous addiction, scientists think that this may be due to severe dehydration and lack of nutrients in the body.
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