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.
High levels of stress that continue for a long time may cause health problems, like high blood pressure and heart disease. During pregnancy, stress can increase the chances of having a baby who is preterm (born before 37 weeks of pregnancy) or a low-birthweight baby (weighing less than 5 pounds, 8 ounces).
Prenatal stress can indirectly affect infant health and development by increasing the risk of the occurrence of adverse birth outcomes which are, in turn, associated with substantial developmental and health consequences.
Summary. Determining pregnancy-related risk factors for autism is an ongoing area of research. Some risk factors have more evidence of an association than others. Taking certain antiepileptic drugs, being older parents, having a preterm birth, and developing gestational diabetes are believed to be risk factors.
However, a comprehensive analysis found that for a woman over age 35, the chance of having a child with autism is lower than for younger women. That study also suggested that women under age 25 are more likely to have a child with autism than older women.
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.
Due to its lower prevalence in females, autism was always thought to have a maternal inheritance component. However, research also suggests that the rarer variants associated with autism are mostly inherited from the father.
Advanced parental age at time of conception. Prenatal exposure to air pollution or certain pesticides. Maternal obesity, diabetes, or immune system disorders. Extreme prematurity or very low birth weight.
Advances in diagnostic capabilities and greater understanding and awareness of autism spectrum disorder seem to be largely driving the increase, the Rutgers researchers said. But there's probably more to the story: Genetic factors, and perhaps some environmental ones, too, might also be contributing to the trend.
While you can't prevent having a child with an autistic disorder, you can increase your odds of having a healthy baby by doing these lifestyle changes: Live healthy. Have regular check-ups, eat well-balanced meals, and exercise. Make sure you have good prenatal care, and take all recommended vitamins and supplements.
If you start to experience symptoms you can't shake (like feeling worried all the time, losing interest in your life, feeling hopeless, sleeping or eating more or less than usual, or having difficulty concentrating) you should let your doctor know. These could be signs of depression or an anxiety disorder.
Stress and Birth Outcomes
Maternal stress has been associated with poor birth outcomes including preterm birth, infant mortality and low birthweight. Stress results in increases in cortisol, norepinephrine and inflammation which affect the fetal environment and have implications for maternal and infant health.
Crying with a low frequency does not adversely affect the fetus. However, if you suffer from depression during pregnancy, your unborn baby can suffer many negative effects.
Fetal distress is diagnosed by monitoring the baby's heart rate. A slow heart rate, or unusual patterns in the heart rate, may signal fetal distress. Your doctor or midwife might pick up signs of fetal distress as they listen to your baby's heart during pregnancy.
Symptoms of stress during pregnancy
An increase in heart rate or heart palpitations. Headaches. Back pain. Tummy upset.
Factors such as poor nutrition, stress and infection during pregnancy have all been associated with adverse effects on fetal neurodevelopment. One important consideration is that the long-term risks associated with exposure to an adverse intra-uterine environment are not evenly distributed across society.
A common question after an autism diagnosis is what is the cause of autism. 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.
The second-born child has about 50 percent higher odds of having childhood autism than the firstborn, the study found. It's possible that pregnant women who already have one child may catch infections from their firstborns, resulting in inflammation.
Prevalence of autism. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers (SDAC), an estimated 164,000 Australians had autism in 2015 [5] (see also Box 1). This represented an overall prevalence rate of 0.7%, or about 1 in 150 people.
In the United States, prenatal genetic testing (PGT) for Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) is currently available via clinical genetic services. Such testing may inform parents about their unborn child's risk for ASD, prepare parents for the birth of an affected infant, and allow them to arrange for early interventions.
Children with an autistic parent or sibling have 9 times the usual odds of autism and 4.1 times the odds of having autism with intellectual disability.
They also noted that autism was most associated with anomalies in the urinary system, heart, head, and brain. They further found that those with autism tended to have a narrower head and a relatively wider ocular distance compared to typically developing fetuses.
Having a family health history of ASD makes you more likely to have a child with ASD, or to have ASD yourself. If you have a child with ASD, you are more likely to have another child with ASD, especially if you have a daughter with ASD or more than one child with ASD.
A genetic test cannot diagnose or detect autism. That's because myriad genes along with environmental factors may underlie the condition. Roughly 100 genes have clear ties to autism, but no single gene leads to autism every time it is mutated.
Genetics. Genetic factors may be the most significant cause of autism. Early studies of twins had estimated heritability to be over 90%, meaning that genetics explains over 90% of whether a child will develop autism. This may be an overestimation, as later twin studies estimate the heritability at between 60 and 90%.