Weight Increase Before and During Pregnancy Linked to Autism

Weight gain before and during pregnancy can be associated with autism in children, a latest study reveals.

The study conducted by psychiatric researchers at the University of Utah showed that constant increase of weight during and before pregnancy may prove an "important marker" for possible autism risk in children.

The researchers analysed two study groups. In the first group 128 children with autism, aged 8, were compared with 10, 920 normal children of the same age. For further analysis, the authors evaluated 288 autistic children against their healthy siblings.

According to the observations, researchers found a connection between autism in children and weight gain during pregnancy.

"The risk of autism spectrum disorder associated with a modest yet consistent increase in pregnancy weight gain suggests that pregnancy weight gain may serve as an important marker for autism's underlying gestational etiology," said Deborah A Bilder, M.D., lead author of the study and an assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Utah in a press release. "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."

However, at the moment, Bilder did not suggest any changes in the diet for pregnant women.

"Doctors have known for a long time that proper nutrition is essential to a healthy pregnancy. Pregnant women should not change their diet based on these results. Rather, this study provides one more piece for the autism puzzle that researchers are exploring," she explained.

Latest statistics released by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revealed that one in every 50 school children is diagnosed with autism and the risk may even be higher. The condition is now recognized in 1 to 2 percent of the U.S. population, therefore, it is no more known as a rare disease in the country.

"This calls for further investigation of its underlying etiology as a public health concern," said Bilder.

She further said that the study findings are important as they might provide an insight into the root cause of autism and "provide a specific direction for researchers to pursue as they search for the causes for autism spectrum disorders."