"Heavy womenís chances higher."
By Lindsey Tanner from The Washington Times.
CHICAGO ó Obesity during pregnancy may increase chances for having a child with autism, provocative new research suggests.
Itís among the first studies linking the two and, though it doesnít prove obesity causes autism, the authors say their results raise public health concerns because of the high level of obesity in this country.
Studied women who were obese during pregnancy were about 67 percent more likely than normal-weight women to have autistic children. They also faced double the risk of having children with other developmental delays.
On average, women face a 1-in-88 chance of having a child with autism; the results suggest that obesity during pregnancy would increase that to a 1-in-53 chance, the authors said. The study was released online Monday in Pediatrics.
Since more than one-third of U.S. women of child-bearing age are obese, the results are potentially worrisome and add yet another incentive for maintaining a prescribed normal weight, said researcher Paula Krakowiak, a study co-author and scientist at the University of California, Davis.
Previous research has linked obesity during pregnancy with stillbirths, premature births and some birth defects.
Dr. Daniel Coury, chief of developmental and behavioral pediatrics at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, said the results ďraise quite a concern.Ē
He noted that U.S. autism rates have increased along with obesity rates and said the research suggests that may be more than a coincidence.
More research is needed to confirm the results. But if mothersí obesity is truly related to autism, it would be only one of many contributing factors, said Dr. Coury, who was not involved in the study.
Genetics has been linked to autism, and scientists are examining whether mothersí illnesses and use of certain medicines during pregnancy might also play a part.
The study involved about 1,000 California children, ages 2 to 5. Nearly 700 had autism or other developmental delays, and 315 did not have those problems.
Mothers were asked about their health. Medical records were available for more than half the women and confirmed their conditions. Itís not clear how mothersí obesity might affect fetal development, but the authors offer some theories.
Obesity, generally about 35 pounds overweight, is linked with inflammation and sometimes elevated levels of blood sugar.
Excess blood sugar and inflammation-related substances in a motherís blood may reach the fetus and damage the developing brain, Ms. Krakowiak said.
The study lacks information about blood tests during pregnancy. Thereís also no information on womenís diets and other habits during pregnancy that might have influenced fetal development.
There were no racial, ethnic, education or health insurance differences among mothers of autistic children and those with unaffected children that might have influenced the results, the researchers said.
The National Institutes of Health helped pay for the study.