January 01, 2024
- A new study has explored the association between common immune-mediated and cardiometabolic conditions during pregnancy and neurodevelopmental outcomes in children. The results showed that asthma and obesity were independently associated with a higher likelihood of child ASD. Women with both asthma and obesity had substantially more chances of delivering infants who were later diagnosed with ASD or neurodevelopmental disorders. The odds of having a child with ASD increased among women with extreme obesity and asthma. Additionally, results differed based on the child’s sex, with the combination of maternal asthma and obesity increasing the odds of ASD among female offspring only.
- Psychology Today recently featured an article on managing perseverative cognition, sometimes called “autistic thought loops.” The report explains that preservative cognition includes rumination, anxiety, and getting stuck on a specific topic or idea. Experienced by many on the spectrum, autistic thought loops usually involve inflexible thinking, which can lead to negative thoughts and worry. The author suggests that applying self-care tools, developing awareness of the habit, and avoiding triggers can reduce the harmful effects of perseverative cognition.
- A retrospective population-based cohort study has evaluated the possibility of an association between labor epidural anesthesia and the incidence of autism in children. This research was conducted on 139,981 laboring patients and their offspring at an Israeli hospital between 2005 and 2017. The authors compared the incidence of children diagnosed with ASD and typically developing children who were born to mothers who had received epidural analgesia during their labor. The results demonstrated that after adjusting for confounders, epidural anesthesia is not independently associated with autism spectrum disorder in these children. However, over the past four years, several studies have investigated the use of epidural anesthesia during labor and a potential association of children who later develop autism. The findings of these studies have been inconsistent, with some research finding a connection and others not.
- The Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) plans to hold its next hybrid full committee meeting on Wednesday, January 24, 2024, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST. This free meeting will be accessible to the public in person and via NIH Videocast. The Committee will welcome public comments surrounding the topic of law enforcement interactions with the autism community. Comments are due by Tuesday, January 9, 2024, at 5 p.m. EST.
