Male Offspring of Mothers with Immune Conditions at Higher Risk of Adverse Outcomes
Children on the spectrum whose mothers experienced immune system irregularities during pregnancy have a greater risk of behavioral and emotional problems according to a study from UC Davis’ MIND Institute. This new research reviewed maternal immune history and used it as a predictor of autism symptoms in children. Immune system conditions recognized in this study included asthma, hypothyroidism, Raynaud’s disease, alopecia, psoriasis, and rheumatoid arthritis. While the authors found a positive link between maternal immune conditions and increased behavioral and emotional problems, they did not observe reduced cognitive functioning in these same children with autism. Similar to prior autism research, the study found a history of maternal immune conditions more common in boys with ASD (31%) compared to girls (18%).
