The diagnosis of autism has been on the rise and it has caused such a concern that scientist are working furiously to find out more information about this disorder.  One in every eighty eight children are diagnosed with some form of autism, so there’s really a need to understand more about this disorder in hopes of finding a treatment or even a cure.

There was a recent study by researchers in Denmark that holds promise in shedding some light on autism.

The study by researchers in Denmark and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention looked at nearly 97,000 children ages 8 to 14 who were born in Denmark between 1997 and 2003, only 1 percent of whom were diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder. The researchers interviewed the mothers during their pregnancy and after delivery about any infections and high fevers they’d experienced while pregnant, as well as whether they had used antibiotics.

Although the study was not designed to ask about cases of the flu, mothers who reported having the flu during their pregnancy were two times more likely to have a child with autism, according to the study published Monday in the journal Pediatrics. Those whose fever persisted for a week or more before their third trimester were three times more likely to have a child on the autism spectrum, the study found.

Due to this study, it is encouraged that women consider getting a flu shot during pregnancy.  Although women are encouraged to get a flu shot, this study does not present finding that would suggest that getting the flu shot would prevent instances of Autism.  It is reported that although there were some instances of pregnant women that had children with autism, 98% of the women in the study who experienced flu, fever or took antibiotics during pregnancy DID NOT have children with autism. So, in spite of this study, reports show that the overall risks still remain low.

Although we are making strides in finding links to autism there is still no one known cause.

If you live in the South Jersey Area or Delaware and you have questions about Autism and treatments contact our team at New Behavioral Network.

Related Posts:

• Autism, Pregnancy and Folic Acid:  http://www.nbngroup.com/blog/2012/06/26/autism-pregnancy-folic-acid/
• Autism Research suffers a Critical Blow  http://www.nbngroup.com/blog/2012/06/14/autism-research-suffers-critical-blow-harvard-brain-tissue-resource-center/

Information Sources:

ABC News: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/ColdFlu/survey-flu-pregnancy-linked-autism/story?id=17682648#.UKE0xz9a-AY

WebMd:  http://www.webmd.com/brain/autism/news/20121109/flu-pregnancy-autism