There are many reasons which can cause autism in the child during its development in the mother's womb. One of the main reasons for autism can be gestational diabetes. Gestational diabetes is a common phenomenon, but it should be well managed by doctors.
Available evidence shows that autism tends to develop at an early age, meaning that a child born without autism is unlikely to “acquire” it when they are older. The best response to an autism diagnosis is to seek evidence-based autism treatment that can help the family adjust and the child thrive.
During this early pregnancy period, important brainstem mechanisms form the foundation for subsequent brain development. So far, research indicates that increased risk for autism traces most strongly to what happens during the first and second trimesters.
Researchers are unsure of the specific causes of autism. However, as previously described, children who suffer certain types of birth injuries have a heightened risk of later being diagnosed with ASD. Cerebral palsy is a common type of birth injury suffered by children.
There is not just one cause of ASD. There are many different factors that have been identified that may make a child more likely to have ASD, including environmental, biologic, and genetic factors.
Although the exact cause of autism is still unknown, there is evidence to suggest that genetics play a significant role. Since autism is less prevalent in females, autism was always thought to be passed down from the mother. However, research suggests that autism genes are usually inherited from the father.
While autism is typically not diagnosed before the age of 2 (and often much later), it can sometimes be detected earlier. A 2022 study found that a routine second-trimester ultrasound could detect early signs of autism during pregnancy,18 including anomalies in the heart, head, and kidneys.
Recent studies have shown that autism can be detected during pregnancy as early as the second trimester. Early detection of the disorder can help us to get prepared and treat the disease as early as possible.
We know that there's no one cause of autism. Research suggests that autism develops from a combination of genetic and nongenetic, or environmental, influences. These influences appear to increase the risk that a child will develop autism.
A routine prenatal ultrasound in the second trimester can identify early signs of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), a new study by Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and Soroka Medical Center has found.
In the largest study of its kind, researchers have shown that the risk of autism increases for firstborn children and children of older parents. The risk of a firstborn with an autism spectrum disorder triples after a mother turns 35 and a father reaches 40.
Maternal exposure to hormones during pregnancy is linked to a higher risk of the development of ASD in offspring. Dihydrotestosterone, progestin, and norethindrone exposure can induce significant ERβ promoter methylation and inhibit ERβ expression in offspring.
Depression isn't the only mental health factor that can influence pregnancy outcomes. High levels of stress during pregnancy may also be connected to autism in children. This connection appears to have the most impact when the parent experiences stress between weeks 25 and 28 of pregnancy.
Maternal diabetes or obesity are linked to increased likelihood of having a child with autism or other developmental disability. Fever during pregnancy was associated with increased risk of autism for children.
Obesity, diabetes before and during pregnancy, stress and autoimmune conditions in the mother have been associated with autism in her child, too: All either induce inflammation or impair immune signaling in other ways. These pieces of evidence, taken together, are called the 'maternal immune activation hypothesis.
Women who develop gestational diabetes early in their pregnancy have a slightly higher risk of having a child diagnosed with autism, according to a 2015 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).
Fetal ventriculomegaly is the most common antenatally-diagnosed brain abnormality. Imaging studies in antenatal isolated ventriculomegaly demonstrate enlarged ventricles and cortical overgrowth which are also present in children with autism-spectrum disorder/condition (ASD).
Key Autism Statistics & Facts
In 2023, the CDC reported that around 1 in 36 children in the U.S. is diagnosed with autism. Autism prevalence has increased 178% since 2000. The country with the highest rate of diagnosed autism in the world is Qatar, and the country with the lowest rate is France.
It is estimated that 1 in 100 people in Australia have Autism. In 2018 there were 205,200 Australians with Autism, a 25.1% increase from the 164,000 in 2015 (Source: ABS SDAC 2018– Autism in Australia). This means that if you have Autism you are not alone.
Some argue that autism's prevalence is rising because of environmental causes like vaccines. There is no evidence, though, for that explanation. Others argue that the rate is increasing because of the rising age of parents, especially fathers.
Doctors look at the child's developmental history and behavior to make a diagnosis. ASD can sometimes be detected at 18 months of age or younger. By age 2, a diagnosis by an experienced professional can be considered reliable. However, many children do not receive a final diagnosis until much older.
Autism is not caused by malnutrition or food-related challenges, but, for many people, there is a connection between autism and food. Research suggests that food-related challenges have a significant impact on many people who are diagnosed on the autism spectrum.
No, early intervention can't cure autism – there is no cure for autism. Early intervention helps children develop the skills they need to succeed in school and society. For example, work in early intervention programs commonly allows children to develop the following skills: Physical skills.