A routine prenatal ultrasound can identify early signs of autism, study finds. Summary: A routine prenatal ultrasound in the second trimester can identify early signs of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), a new study has found.
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.
A routine prenatal ultrasound in the second trimester of pregnancy can identify early signs of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), according to a study from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and Soroka Medical Center in Israel.
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.
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.
Epidemiological studies have shown that hormone abnormalities in pregnant women are a significant potential risk factor for autism in offspring and that sex hormones may be part of the cause of autism.
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.
Fetal abnormalities in the urinary system, heart, brain and elsewhere, detected via prenatal ultrasound, may signal autism spectrum disorder (ASD), new research suggests.
Inheritance. ASD has a tendency to run in families, but the inheritance pattern is usually unknown. People with gene changes associated with ASD generally inherit an increased risk of developing the condition, rather than the condition itself.
That said, adequate prenatal iron intake is one simple way to protect your fetus' developing brain. In addition, a 2022 meta-analysis of 10 studies found that taking folic acid in early pregnancy significantly lowers the autism risk. 9 Taing 400 micrograms (mcg) was associated with a reduced risk of autism.
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.
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.
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.
It is estimated that worldwide about 1 in 100 children has autism (1). This estimate represents an average figure, and reported prevalence varies substantially across studies.
One study found that the chance of having ASD for children born to parents who are in their thirties is up to 10 percent higher than parents who are 25 to 29 years old. The same researchers found that the chance of developing ASD is 50 percent higher when the parents are in their 40s or 50s.
There's no way to prevent autism spectrum disorder, but there are treatment options. Early diagnosis and intervention is most helpful and can improve behavior, skills and language development. However, intervention is helpful at any age.
So if there's no genetic history in the family, where does a child's autism come from? A key fact has come to light within the last couple of years: many autism-causing genetic mutations are “spontaneous.” They occur in the affected child, but in neither parent.
It's not clear precisely how prenatal vitamins might influence autism risk. It's also unclear which nutrient in the supplements is most beneficial. Some studies have linked a lack of folic acid, iron or vitamin D to autism.
In the absence of a behavioral and developmental evaluation, a positive genetic test result can, at most, identify children at risk for having ASD.
Autism is generally not diagnosed until age three, but signs of developmental delay can begin to appear as early as six months of age.
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. Ultimately, autism is a complex condition with 100s of genes involved.
That's because the rate of autism in women is much lower than that in men, and it is thought that women can carry the same genetic risk factors without having any signs of autism. But when a mother passes these genes to her sons, they are not protected in the same way and thus will be affected.
Boys are four times more likely to be diagnosed with autism than girls. Most children were still being diagnosed after age 4, though autism can be reliably diagnosed as early as age 2.