Induced Labor Associated with Increased Autism Risk, Says Largest Study on Subject

In the largest study of its kind, Duke University researchers are linking to induced labor to a higher risk of autism.

The study, by researchers at Duke University Medical Center and the University of Michigan, 625,042 live births linked with school records, including 5,500 children classified with autism, over an eight-year period. 

However the study, which was published Monday in JAMA Pediatrics, does note the increased autism risk likely arises from an underlying problem with the pregnancy, rather than any of the methods used to jump-start labor.

Lead author Simon Gregory of the Duke Institute of Molecular Physiology and his team are quick to caution that there are often overriding medical reasons to induce or augment labor that should not be ignored because of any potential risk of autism. The findings don't prove that labor induction or augmentation cause autism, they just show an association.

"The risk is significant, but it is not grossly significant," said Gregory. He said the autism risk posed by labor induction or augmentation is similar to the risk seen with advanced maternal age.

The process of inducing labor involves stimulating contractions before labor has naturally begun. The most common method of doing this is by giving the mother oxytocin (Pitocin), which is a drug that stimulates contractions.

About one in 88 children born in the United States has autism, a spectrum disorder that affects behavior and the ability to communicate, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The medical community has not yet reached a consensus on what exactly causes autism, but several factors are thought to increase risk, including advanced maternal age and/or pregnancy complications.

Like most research into autism causes, the study doesn't provide conclusive answers, and the authors say the results shouldn't lead doctors to avoid inducing labor or speeding it up since it can be life-saving for mothers and babies.