Abuse in Childhood Increases Risk of giving Birth to Autistic Children

Women who were victims of various kinds of abuse during childhood risk giving birth to a child with autism, according to a new study.

A team of researchers from Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) based their findings on more than 50,000 women, part of the Nurses' Health Study II. Women who experienced any kind of physical, emotional or sexual abuse as girls - either moderate or severe - had a child with autism, compared to women who were not abused as kids.

However, the risks increased with the severity of the abuse, as women who experienced high levels of abuse had three-and-a-half times greater risks, while women who experienced moderate levels of abuse had 60 percent greater risks of having a child with autism.

"Our study identifies a completely new risk factor for autism," lead author Andrea Roberts, research associate in the HSPH Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, said in a news release. "Further research to understand how a woman's experience of abuse is associated with autism in her children may help us better understand the causes of autism and identify preventable risk factors."

Researchers also analyzed the role of some other risk factors in pregnancy which are known to increase the risk of autism in children - like gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, and smoking. They found a prevalence of these risk factors in women who reported abuse at childhood. However, the risks posed by these factors were very minute compared to childhood abuse.

The abuse leaves lasting effects on the victim's immune system and stress-response system, researchers while explaining the occurrence, said.

Abuse at childhood can leave both a mental and physical impact on children. Children who experience abuse at an early age are more likely to take drugs and abuse their own children in adulthood. Earlier studies have found an association between adverse childhood experiences and health outcomes later in life. Smoking, cancer and metabolic disorders are some among them.

"Childhood abuse is associated with a wide array of health problems in the person who experiences it, including both mental health outcomes like depression and anxiety, and physical health outcomes like obesity and lung disease. Our research suggests that the effects of childhood abuse may also reach across generations," senior author Marc Weisskopf said.

The study is published online issue of JAMA Psychiatry.

The findings come at a time when nearly six million children per day are abused across the country, according to an estimate from National Child Abuse Statistics. According to the report, among industrialized nations, the United States has a critical record of five children dying daily from child abuse. According to the CDC, state and local agencies receive more than 3 million reports of child maltreatment each year, which means nearly 6 cases every minute.