CNN (3/6, Scutti) reports a study found “children born to women who had a severe infection during pregnancy, such as sepsis, flu or pneumonia, show an increased risk of autism spectrum disorder and depression.” The study found elevated risks for autism and depression in minor infections as well, such as urinary tract infection. The population study looked at medical records for almost two million women over 41 years in Sweden. The study was published in JAMA Psychiatry.
MedPage Today (3/6, Hlavinka) reports “children of mothers hospitalized for any infection during pregnancy had a higher risk for diagnoses of autism by age 7 (HR 1.79, 95% CI 1.34-2.40) and depression by age 21 (HR 1.24 95% CI 1.08-1.42) compared to those of mothers with no such infection history.” Moreover, “for autism, the association did not appear to be affected by the severity of maternal infection.” The study received funding from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
Related Links:
— “Exposure to infection in the womb increases risk of autism and depression, study says, “Susan Scutti, CNN, March 06, 2019