Autism could be linked to obesity in pregnancy, study says
Obese women are 47 percent more likely to have a child with autism
There are a number of potential causes that are known to be linked to autism like genetic factors and exposure in the womb to drugs like sodium valproate, which is used for treating epilepsy. Now a recent study carried out in China points towards obesity to also be a factor.
Researchers from the Central South University in China employed ‘meta-analysis’, which combines findings from multiple studies to produce statistically significant results, to understand the relation between maternal obesity and autism. Worldwide data and 200,000 people were part of the project.
The findings showed that obese women are almost 47 percent more likely to have a child with autism compared with normal weight mothers. The results of this study published in the latest issue of the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, according to the Daily Mail.