Research by Topic: Mothers

Is Maternal Influenza or Fever During Pregnancy Associated with Autism or Developmental Delays?

Published January 8, 2015 in Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders

Though neither ASD nor DD was associated with influenza, both were associated with maternal fever during pregnancy. However, the fever-associated ASD risk was attenuated among mothers who reported taking antipyretic medications but remained elevated for those who did not.

Is maternal influenza or fever during pregnancy associated with autism or developmental delays?

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Maternal Intake of Supplemental Iron and Risk for Autism Spectrum Disorders

Published September 22, 2014 in University of California - Davis

Mothers of children with autism are significantly less likely to report taking iron supplements before and during their pregnancies than the mothers of children who are developing normally, a study by researchers with the UC Davis MIND Institute has found. Low iron intake was associated with a five-fold greater risk of autism in the child if the mother was 35 or older at the time of the child’s birth or if she suffered from metabolic conditions such as obesity hypertension or diabetes. The research is the first to examine the relationship between maternal iron intake and having a child with autism spectrum disorder.

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2014-09/uoc--moc090914.php

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ASF President Alison Singer on The Leonard Lopate Show

Published September 9, 2014 in The Leonard Lopate Show

Across the country and around the world, children are getting sick and dying from preventable diseasesin part because some parents are choosing not to vaccinate their children. Alison Singer, President of the Autism Science Foundation, and Dr. Amy Middleman, Adolescent Medicine Specialist at the University of Oklahoma’s Health Sciences Center, examine the science behind vaccinations, the return of preventable diseases, and the risks of opting out. Theyre both featured in the PBS NOVA documentary VaccinesCalling The Shots, which airs September 10, at 9 pm, on PBS.

http://www.wnyc.org/story/vaccines/

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Neurodevelopmental Disorders and Prenatal Residential Proximity to Agricultural Pesticides

Published June 23, 2014 in University of California-Davis

A study out of the University of California Davis found that women who live near farmland where pesticides are applied are 60 percent more likely to give birth to a child with autism or other developmental delays. In the study, the association was stronger for women exposed during their second or third trimester. The study looked at three categories of pesticides: organophosphates, pyrethroids and carbamates; all three were found to have associations with ASD or other developmental delays.

http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/1307044/

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Use of Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors during Pregnancy and Risk of Autism

Published December 19, 2013 in New England Journal of Medicine

In the past, studies have raised concern about an association between the use of a certain type of antidepressant known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) during pregnancy and an increased risk of autism spectrum disorders in the child. A new study now shows no significant association between maternal use of SSRIs during pregnancy and autism spectrum disorder in the child. However, the children were at a higher than usual risk of being diagnosed with autism if their mother had taken the drugs for depression or anxiety prior to the pregnancy, suggesting a possible link between the mother’s preexisting mental health condition and the child’s development of an ASD.

http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1301449

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Maternal Prenatal Weight Gain and Autism Spectrum Disorders

Published October 28, 2013 in Pediatrics

New research from the University of Utah and published in the journal Pediatrics has uncovered an association between autism spectrum disorders and a small increase in the amount of weight a mother gains during pregnancy. These findings suggest that weight gain during pregnancy is not the cause of ASD but rather may reflect an underlying process that it shares with autism spectrum disorders, such as abnormal hormone levels or inflammation.

http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2013/10/23/peds.2013-1188.abstract

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Alarm Over Autism Test

Published September 13, 2013 in Science Magazine

A research group exploring the hypothesis that certain maternal antibodies can impair fetal brains has partnered with a company to develop a test for predicting whether a woman will have a child with autism. The antibodies, they claim, could account for up to a quarter of all autism cases. But other autism scientists are skeptical that the evidence is strong enough to make such a claim, or to consider an autism test based on the antibodies.

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Autism Four Times Likelier When Mother’s Thyroid is Weakened

Published August 13, 2013 in Annals of Neurology

A study from the Houston Methodist Neurological Institute and Erasmus Medical Centre discovered that mothers who do not produce enough of a thyroid hormone, thyroxine, are nearly four times more likely to have a child with autism. In the past, this hormone has been shown to be important in the migration of fetal brain cells during embryo development.

http://www.methodisthealth.com/methodist.cfm?xyzpdqabc=0&id=495&action=detail&ref=1078

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Problematic Antibodies Affecting Brain Development During Pregnancy Could Help Explain 1/4 of Cases of Autism

Published July 9, 2013 in Translational Psychiatry

Antibodies found almost exclusively in mothers with children who have autism have a certain anitbody that may be affecting brain development during pregnancy. The same study says that these antibodies could account for nearly 1/4 of all cases of autism.

http://www.nature.com/tp/journal/v3/n7/abs/tp201350a.html

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Mothers Who Have Children with ASD Show Significantly Higher Levels of Fatigue

Published July 1, 2013 in Autism

This study shows that parents who have children with ASD show significantly higher levels of fatigue when compared to mothers of typically developing children. The study argues the need for interventions that specifically target maternal fatigue.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=Fatigue%2C+wellbeing+and+parental+self-efficacy+in+mothers+of+children+with+an+Autism+Spectrum+Disorder

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Early Signs Of Autism: Does My Toddler Have It?

Published May 24, 2013 in The Huffington Post

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/24/early-signs-of-autism_n_3332215.html

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How Can Immigrant Families Get Help For Their Autistic Child

Published May 24, 2013 in ASF Blog

Guest blogger Marcela De Vivo shares insight on some of the difficulties immigrant families face when getting help for their child with autism in this week’s ASF blog post.

http://autismsciencefoundation.wordpress.com/2013/05/24/how-can-immigrant-families-get-help-for-their-autistic-child/

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Ad Campaign Uses New Approach to Promote Early Autism Recognition in African-American and Hispanic Families

Published May 20, 2013 in The New York Times

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/21/business/media/aiming-autism-ads-at-hispanic-and-african-american-parents.html?pagewanted=all&_r=1

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Parents Turn Their Skills to Furthering Autism Research

Published May 9, 2013 in SFARI

ASF President Alison Singer is featured in this article on how parent advocates help advance autism research.

http://sfari.org/news-and-opinion/news/2013/parents-turn-their-skills-to-furthering-autism-research

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Trophoblast Inclusions Are Significantly Increased in the Placentas of Children in Families at Risk for Autism

Published April 25, 2013 in Biological Psychiatry

Researchers at the Yale School of Medicine have figured out how to measure an infant’s risk of developing autism by looking for abnormalities in his/her placenta at birth, allowing for earlier diagnosis and treatment for the developmental disorder.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/04/130425091604.htm

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Association of Maternal Exposure to Childhood Abuse With Elevated Risk for Autism in Offspring

Published March 20, 2013 in JAMA Psychiatry

This study examined the relationship between maternal childhood abuse and autism in children in a large population-based sample. Maternal abuse was significantly associated with increased autism risk even after researchers controlled for perinatal risk factors, including gestational diabetes, smoking during pregnancy, preeclampsia, exposure to intimate partner violence and premature birth.

http://archpsyc.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1666655

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Mother’s Drive Helps Research on Rare Autism-linked Mutation

Published March 14, 2013 in SFARI

A mother with two sons with autism helps advance research on neuroligin-4 mutations.

http://sfari.org/news-and-opinion/news/2013/mothers-drive-helps-research-on-rare-autism-linked-mutation

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Changes to Children’s Study Threaten its Value, Experts Say

Published March 7, 2013 in SFARI

Autism researchers and advocates are concerned about changes to the recruitment strategy of the National Childrens Study, which aims to enroll 100,000 pregnant women, monitor environmental exposures, and examine gene-environment interactions in the women and their children. The changes, which include forgoing door-to-door recruitment, may limit the generalizability of the findings.

http://sfari.org/news-and-opinion/news/2013/changes-to-childrens-study-threaten-its-value-experts-say

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Prenatal Folic Acid Linked to Lower Risk of Autism

Published February 19, 2013 in ASF Blog

Read this new guest post from Theresa Waldron, author of www.healthsnark.com, on the possible link between prenatal folic acid and autism.

http://autismsciencefoundation.wordpress.com/2013/02/19/prenatal-folic-acid-linked-to-lower-risk-of-autism/

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Association between maternal use of folic acid supplements and risk of autism spectrum disorders in children

Published February 13, 2013 in Journal of the American Medical Association

The goal of this study was to determine the relationship between the use of prenatal folic acid supplements and presence of autism spectrum disorders in offspring. The study concluded that the use of prenatal folic acid supplements around the time fo conception was associated with a lower risk of autism spectrum disorders. These findings support […]

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=23403681

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Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Children With Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities: Associations With Ethnicity, Child Comorbid Symptoms, and Parental Stress

Published January 30, 2013 in Journal of Child Neurology

Families of children with ASD and other comorbid symptoms, including behavioral problems such as irritability and food allergies, were more likely to use complementary and alternative medicine, and they were more likely to use more types of modalities as compared to families of children with other developmental disabilities.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23372032

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Elevated Maternal C-reactive Protein and Autism in a National Birth Cohort

Published January 22, 2013 in Molecular Psychiatry

Large national birth cohort study links elevated maternal C-reactive protein (a marker of systemic inflammation) to increased autism risk.

http://www.nature.com/mp/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/mp2012197a.html

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Prenatal Versus Postnatal Sex Steroid Hormone Effects on Autistic Traits in Children at 18 to 24 Months of Age

Published December 11, 2012 in Molecular Autism

Cambridge researchers are investigating the link between pre- and postnatal hormone levels and autistic traits later in life.

http://www.molecularautism.com/content/pdf/2040-2392-3-17.pdf

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Exploratory Study Examines Infections, Pregnancy, Autism Risks

Published November 12, 2012 in USA Today

Study examines potential links between maternal infections during pregnancy and autism. The chief of the CDC’s Developmental Disabilities Branch says “for now, the standard clinical recommendations for treating pregnant women suffering from fever or flu should not change as a result of [these] new preliminary findings.”

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2012/11/12/autism-pregnancy-flu/1693083/

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Placental Regulation of Maternal-fetal Interactions and Brain Development

Published August 23, 2012 in Developmental Neurobiology

“A variety prenatal insults are associated with the incidence of neurodevelopmental disorders such as schizophrenia, autism and cerebral palsy. While the precise mechanisms underlying how transient gestational challenges can lead to later life dysfunctions are largely unknown, the placenta is likely to play a key role. The literal interface between maternal and fetal cells resides in the placenta, and disruptions to the maternal or intrauterine environment are necessarily conveyed to the developing embryo via the placenta. Placental cells bear the responsibility of promoting maternal tolerance of the semiallogeneic fetus and regulating selective permeability of nutrients, gases, and antibodies, while still providing physiological protection of the embryo from adversity. The placenta’s critical role in modulating immune protection and the availability of nutrients and endocrine factors to the offspring implicates its involvement in autoimmunity, growth restriction and hypoxia, all factors associated with the development of neurological complications. In this review, we summarize primary maternal-fetal interactions that occur in the placenta and describe pathways by which maternal insults can impair these processes and disrupt fetal brain development. We also review emerging evidence for placental dysfunction in the prenatal programming of neurodevelopmental disorders.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22753006

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Migration and Autism Spectrum Disorder: Population-based Study

Published August 1, 2012 in The British Journal of Psychiatry

Results of this study show that while children of migrant parents are at an increased risk of low-functioning autism, they are at a decreased risk for high-functioning autism. Researchers call for further research to determine if environmental factors associated with migration influence the development of autism.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22361019

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Modeling an Autism Risk Factor in Mice Leads to Permanent Immune Dysregulation

Published July 31, 2012 in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

“Increasing evidence highlights a role for the immune system in the pathogenesis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), as immune dysregulation is observed in the brain, periphery, and gastrointestinal tract of ASD individuals. Furthermore, maternal infection (maternal immune activation, MIA) is a risk factor for ASD. Modeling this risk factor in mice yields offspring with the cardinal behavioral and neuropathological symptoms of human ASD.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22802640

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Cognition and behavior: Fragile X Carriers Show Autism Signs

Published July 27, 2012 in Simons Foundation Austism Research Initiative

According to a study published in the American Journal of Medical Genetics, Women who have a milder version of the fragile X mutation, which can lead to the full mutation in their children, have some features of autism.

http://sfari.org/news-and-opinion/in-brief/2012/cognition-and-behavior-fragile-x-carriers-show-autism-signs

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Age at Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorders

Published June 9, 2012 in Journal of Pediatrics

“Early identification of autism has become a national priority but, despite efforts, there are children who are being identified at a later age. In this study, children of Hispanic and African American origin, foreign-born children, and children born to foreign mothers were more likely to be diagnosed later.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22683037

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Fever During Pregnancy May Raise Odds for Autism in Offspring

Published June 1, 2012 in Childhood Autism Risks from Genetics and Environment (CHARGE) study

According to a new study from the University of California at Davis, moms who had a fever from any cause during pregnancy were more than twice as likely to have a child with autism or another developmental delay, when compared with moms who did not run fever during pregnancy. Moms who had the flu during pregnancy were not at greater risk for having children with autism or another developmental delay.

http://www.everydayhealth.com/pregnancy/0530/fever-during-pregnancy-may-raise-odds-for-autism-in-offspring.aspx

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The Economic Impact of Autism on Families

Published May 31, 2012 in The Atlantic

Interesting article about the financial impacts of autism on American families from The Atlantic.

http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2012/05/the-economic-impact-of-autism-on-families/257892/

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Study Warns Of Autism Risk For Children Of Obese Mothers

Published April 9, 2012 in NPR

A new study in the journal Pediatrics suggests that moms who are obese or have diabetes are more likely to have a child with autism or another developmental problem.

Study Warns Of Autism Risk For Children Of Obese Mothers

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Gene Studies of Autism Point to Mutations and Parents Age

Published April 4, 2012 in New York Times

Three teams of scientists working independently to understand the biology of autism have for the first time homed in on several gene mutations that they agree sharply increase the chances that a child will develop the disorder, and have found further evidence that the risk increases with the age of the parents, particularly the father.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/05/health/research/scientists-link-rare-gene-mutations-to-heightened-risk-of-autism.html?hp

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With autism rising, researchers step up hunt for a cause

Published April 3, 2012 in USA Today

For many families, the quest for the causes of autism has grown more urgent with the news that the estimated prevalence of the condition grew by 23% from 2006 to 2008, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report said last week.

With autism rising, researchers step up hunt for a cause

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Mothers of Autistic Children Earn 56% Less Income, Study Says

Published March 19, 2012 in CBS News

On average, families with a child who has autism earn 28% less than those of a child without a health limitation; nearly $18,000 less per year.

Mothers of Autistic Children Earn 56% Less Income, Study Says

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Training Parents Is Good Medicine for Children With Autism Behavior Problems, Study Suggests

Published February 24, 2012 in Science Daily

Children with autism spectrum disorders who also have serious behavioral problems responded better to medication combined with training for their parents than to treatment with medication alone, Yale researchers and their colleagues report in the February issue of Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry.

Training Parents Is Good Medicine for Children With Autism Behavior Problems, Study Suggests

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Both Maternal and Paternal Age Linked to Autism

Published February 10, 2012 in Science Daily

Older maternal and paternal age are jointly associated with having a child with autism, according to a recently published study led by researchers at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth).

Both Maternal and Paternal Age Linked to Autism

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Dr. Eric London’s Letter to the Editor of the New York Times

Published January 1, 2012 in New York Times

As a psychiatrist and the parent of an adult son with autism, I found In Treating Disabled, Potent Drugs and Few Rules (front page, Dec. 23) to be unfair and detrimental to the families of the developmentally disabled. Although any medication can be inappropriately administered, the wholesale denigration of psychotropic medication for this population is misplaced.

LETTERS: Care of the Disabled in State-Run Group Homes

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Warrior parents fare best in securing autism services

Published December 13, 2011 in LA Times

Public spending on children with autism in California varies greatly by race and class. A major reason: Not all families have the means to battle for coveted assistance.

Warrior parents fare best in securing autism services

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Fetal Exposure to Epilepsy Drug Might Raise Autism Risk: Study

Published December 5, 2011 in US News & World Report

Children exposed to the epilepsy drug valproate have a nearly three times higher risk of having an autism spectrum disorder, new research finds.

Fetal Exposure to Epilepsy Drug Might Raise Autism Risk: Study

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Having A Child With Autism Linked To Genetic Variant And Autoantibodies: Finding May Lead To Screening Test

Published October 20, 2011 in Medical News Today

A study by researchers at UC Davis has found that pregnant women with a particular gene variation are more likely to produce autoantibodies to the brains of their developing fetuses and that the children of these mothers are at greater risk of later being diagnosed with autism.

Article

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Researchers find autism more common with low birth weight

Published October 17, 2011 in Philadelphia Inquirer

Autism is far more common in low-birth-weight babies than the general population, researchers are reporting, a significant finding that nevertheless raises more questions than it answers and illustrates how little is known about a group of disorders that affect nearly 1 percent of American children.

http://www.philly.com/philly/health_and_science/131959518.html

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Autism-Related Study Discovers How Drug Interferes with Neuronal Cell Function

Published July 7, 2011 in Science Daily

This study examined mouse neuronal cells during pregnancy to discover how the drug actually interferes at a molecular level with prostaglandins, which are important for development and communication of cells in the brain.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100707112425.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Latest+Science+News%29

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Residential Proximity to Freeways and Autism in the CHARGE Study

Published June 1, 2011 in Environ Health Perspect, Volke et al.

Researchers at the University of Southern California examined the association between autism and proximity of residence to freeways and major roadways during pregnancy and near the time of delivery, as a surrogate for air pollution exposure. Using the mother’s address recorded on the birth certificate and trimester-specific addresses derived from a residential history, measures of […]

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21156395

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Catching Autism Symptoms Early to Enable Effective Preventative Interventions Through Play

Published March 23, 2011 in Medical News Today

Toddlers who played with a limited number of toys showed more improvement in their communication skills following parent-guided treatment than those receiving other community-based treatments.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/219815.php

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Interactive Program for Dealing with Behavioral Problems is Available as iPhone Application

Published March 18, 2011 in Medical News Today

Behavior Breakthroughs, an interactive program developed by Southwest Research Institute (SwRI), uses game-based technology and 3-D imagery to help train people who work with children and adults with behavioral problems.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/219447.php

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The Tragedy Of The Fraudulent MMR Autism Link, A Personal Story

Published February 7, 2011 in Medical News Today

Medical journalist recaps his struggle to determine if vaccinations caused his son to be diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome concluding that it would not have made the slightest bit of difference if we had refused to vaccinate when our son was small, claiming any conspiracy theories are not based on any compelling data.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/215841.php

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Autism and Increased Paternal Age Related Changes in Global Levels of Gene Expression Regulation

Published February 1, 2011 in PloS One, Alter et al.

This study, performed by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania, analyzed the level of gene expression in children with autism, compared with a control group. The researchers hypothesized that the variability in the pattern of the overall of gene expression levels would be associated with variability in hippocampal-dependent behaviors, which include short-term memory and spatial […]

http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0016715

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Prevalence of Autism According to Maternal Immigrant Status and Ethnic Origin

Published January 1, 2011 in Acta Psychiatrica Scandanavia, M.-J Dealberto

This study examined the rates of autism according to maternal immigrant status and ethnic origins based on the vitamin D insufficiency hypothesis, which proposes that maternal vitamin D insufficiency during pregnancy could be associated with autism. The study provided further support to the association between maternal immigrant status and an increased risk of autism. In […]

http://www.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1600-0447.2010.01662.x/full

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Smoking during Pregnancy affects Myelin Genes in Offspring

Published November 16, 2010 in Science Daily

Smoking during pregnancy may interfere with brain development. New animal research shows maternal smoking affects genes important in the formation and action of a fatty brain substance called myelin that insulates brain cell connections. The finding may explain why the children of mothers who smoked during pregnancy are more likely to develop attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, depression, autism, drug abuse, and other psychiatric disorders.

www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/11/101115155331.htm

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Parental Autoimmune Diseases Associated with Autism Spectrum Disorders in Offspring

Published November 1, 2010 in Epidemiology, Keil, Daniels et al

Studies have suggested associations between immune response and idiopathic disorders (such as autism). This study explores associations between parental autoimmune disorders and children's diagnosis of autism by linking. The study found associations between parental autoimmune disorders and autism spectrum disorders, suggesting parental autoimmune disorders may represent a pathway that warrants more detailed investigation.

http://journals.lww.com/epidem/Abstract/2010/11000/Parental_Autoimmune_Diseases_Associated_With.10.aspx

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Study Links Immune Protein to Abnormal Brain Development

Published October 15, 2010 in Medical News Today

Insight into the role that MHC plays in the nervous system and may enhance our understanding of the factors that can contribute to neuropsychiatric disorders like autism and schizophrenia. Increased levels of a protein called major histocompatibility complex, or MHC, in fetal neurons may be a factor development of autism or schizophrenia.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/204693.php

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How Immune Response in Pregnancy May Lead to Brain Disfunction in Offspring

Published October 14, 2010 in Science Daily

A pregnant woman’s immune response to viral infections may induce subtle neurological changes in the unborn child that can lead to an increased risk for neurodevelopmental disorders including schizophrenia and autism.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/10/101012141924.htm

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Neonatal Jaundice Linked to Autism

Published October 11, 2010 in MedPage Today

Full-term neonates with jaundice are at greatly increased risk of later being diagnosed with a disorder of psychological development, a Danish study found. Neonatal jaundice typically is caused by increased bilirubin production and inadequate liver excretory function. Recent research has suggested that even moderate bilirubin exposure in very young children can be harmful, possibly leading to impairments in their development. They found that jaundice was more common among boys, infants born preterm, infants with congenital malformations, and low-birthweight infants.

http://www.medpagetoday.com/Pediatrics/Autism/22663

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Early Life Influences Risk for Psychiatric Disorders

Published August 18, 2010 in Science Daily

For more than a century, clinical investigators have focused on early life as a source of adult psychopathology. Although the hypothesized mechanisms have evolved, a central notion remains: early life is a period of unique sensitivity during which experience confers enduring effects.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/08/100818090012.htm

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IVF Linked to Autism

Published June 14, 2010 in Science Daily

The first “test tube baby” was born in 1978. With advances in reproductive science, an estimated one percent of all American babies are now born each year through in vitro fertilization (IVF). But IVF and other assisted fertility treatments may be solving one problem by creating another, suggests new evidence from Tel Aviv University.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100614122026.htm

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Studies Link Infertility to Autism

Published May 20, 2010 in Time

A study, conducted by a team at the Harvard School of Public Health, found that autism was nearly twice as common among the children of women who were treated with the ovulation-inducing drug Clomid and other similar drugs than women who did not suffer from infertility, and the link persisted even after researchers accounted for the women’s age. Moreover, the association between fertility drugs and autism appeared to strengthen with exposure: the longer women reported being treated for infertility, the higher the chances their child had an autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1990567,00.html

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Autism Families: High Divorce Rate is a Myth

Published May 19, 2010 in Web MD

Parents of autistic children often hear that the divorce rate in families with autism is 80%, but a new study debunks that figure as a myth. There really weren’t any significant differences in terms of family structure when you consider children with autism and those without.

http://www.webmd.com/brain/autism/news/20100519/autism-famlies-high-divorce-rate-is-a-myth

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Vaccines: The Reality Behind The Debate

Published April 12, 2010 in Parents Magazine

Wary parents want to protect their child from any possible risk. It’s time to inject a dose of reality into the rumor-driven debate.

http://www.parents.com/baby/health/vaccinations/vaccines-the-reality-behind-the-debate/

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Link Between Advanced Maternal Age and Autism Confirmed

Published February 8, 2010 in Science Daily

Advanced maternal age is linked to a significantly elevated risk of having a child with autism, regardless of the father’s age, according to an exhaustive study of all births in California during the 1990s by UC Davis Health System researchers. Advanced paternal age is associated with elevated autism risk only when the father is older and the mother is under 30, the study found.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100208102411.htm

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Those Kids

Published December 15, 2009 in Huffington Post

Disgruntled mother writes about her frustrations with the use of the phrase “Those Kids” by community members to describe autistic children like her son.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/liane-kupferberg-carter/emthose-kidsem_b_392499.html

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Autism Treatment: Success Stories More Persuasive To Some than Hard Data

Published November 22, 2009 in Chicago Tribune

Parents often swear their children with autism get better while they are undergoing alternative therapies. Pitches from doctors providing alternative treatments are difficult to resist, he said. But in evaluating a therapy, the challenge is determining how much, if any, of the progress can be credited to the treatment. Some parents are beginning to realize […]

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2009-11-22/news/0911210345_1_autism-treatment-stories-parents

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California Dept of Health Publishes Study on Autism and Maternal/Paternal Age

Published October 5, 2009 in American Journal of Epidemiology

Reviewing a larger population than in any other study of its kind, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) has found that as parents age their risk of giving birth to a child with autism increases modestly. Published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, the new CDPH study shows that for each 10-year increase in a mothers age, the risk of autism increased by about 38 percent. For each 10-year increase in a fathers age, the risk of autism increased by about 22 percent.

http://www.cdph.ca.gov/Pages/NR09-87-CDPHPUBLISHESSTUDYONAUTISMANDMATERNALANDPATERNALAGE.aspx

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Antibodies Against Fetal Brain in Sera of Mothers with Autistic Children

Published December 1, 2008 in Journal of Neuroimmunology, Singer, Morris, Gause, Gillin, Crawford, Zimmerman

Serum antibodies in 100 mothers of children with autistic disorder (MCAD) were compared to 100 age-matched mothers with unaffected children (MUC) using as antigenic substrates human and rodent fetal and adult brain tissues, GFAP, and MBP. MCAD had significantly more individuals with Western immunoblot bands at 36 kDa in human fetal and rodent embryonic brain […]

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18093664

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Stereotypes and Hyperactivity in Rhesus Monkeys Exposed to IgG from Mothers of Children with Autism

Published August 31, 2008 in Brain Behavior Immunology, Martin, Ashwood, Braunschweig, Cabanlit, Van de Water, Amaral

One proposed cause of ASD is exposure of the fetal brain to maternal autoantibodies during pregnancy [Dalton, P., Deacon, R., Blamire, A., Pike, M., McKinlay, I., Stein, J., Styles, P., Vincent, A., 2003. Maternal neuronal antibodies associated with autism and a language disorder. Ann. Neurol. 53, 533-537]. To provide evidence for this hypothesis, four rhesus […]

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18262386

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Identifying autism Loci and Genes by Tracing Recent Shared Ancestry

Published July 31, 2008 in Science, Morrow, Yoo, et al

To find inherited causes of autism-spectrum disorders, we studied families in which parents share ancestors, enhancing the role of inherited factors. We mapped several loci, some containing large, inherited, homozygous deletions that are likely mutations. The largest deletions implicated genes, including PCDH10 (protocadherin 10) and DIA1 (deleted in autism1, or c3orf58), whose level of expression […]

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18621663

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Association of Childhood Autism Spectrum Disorders and Loss of Family Income

Published April 30, 2008 in Pediatrics, Montes & Halterman

Childhood autism is associated with a substantial loss of annual household income. This likely places a significant burden on families in the face of additional out-of-pocket expenditures. Both having a child with autism spectrum disorder and having a child with other disabilities were associated with decreased odds of living in a higher income household after […]

http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/121/4/e821

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Autism: Maternally derived antibodies specific for fetal brain proteins

Published November 6, 2007 in Neurotoxicology, Braunschweig, Ashwood, et al

Autism is a profound disorder of neurodevelopment with poorly understood biological origins. A potential role for maternal autoantibodies in the etiology of some cases of autism has been proposed in previous studies To investigate this hypothesis, maternal plasma antibodies against human fetal and adult brain proteins were analyzed by western blot in 61 mothers of […]

http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=2305723

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