Prenatal fevers may increase a child's risk of developing autism spectrum disorders, according to a study published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry.
For the study, researchers followed 95,754 children born between 1999 and 2009. Among the children, 583 cases of ASD were identified. Approximately 16 percent of the mothers involved in the study reported experiencing at least one fever during pregnancy. Women who reported fevers during pregnancy were 34 percent more likely to have an autistic child.
"Future work should focus on identifying and preventing prenatal infections and inflammatory responses that may contribute to ASD pathogenesis," wrote the study's authors.
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