Study builds argument that infections may increase autism risk

[pnwmom]

http://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/study-builds-argument-infections-may-cause-autism-n724421

The findings, published in the journal mSphere, add to evidence that inflammation during pregnancy may affect the brain of a developing fetus.

"We believe the mother's immune response to HSV-2 (herpes simplex type 2) could be disrupting fetal central nervous system development, raising risk for autism," said Milada Mahic, a researcher at Columbia University who led the research team.

SNIP

A 2013 study found that women who had flu while they were pregnant were twice as likely to have a child later diagnosed with autism. Those who had a fever lasting a week or longer — perhaps caused by flu or maybe by something else — were three times as likely to have an autistic child.

"A wide range of infectious agents has been linked to autism spectrum disorder (ASD), suggesting the possibility that general immune activation in susceptible subjects, rather than a specific pathogen per se, is associated with risk of ASD," the Columbia team wrote.

"We speculate that ASD risk associated with high levels of antibodies to HSV-2 is not specific to HSV-2 but instead reflects the impact of immune activation and inflammation on a vulnerable developing nervous system."