Could flu during pregnancy raise risk for autism?
The study is the first to assess the risk for ASD based on laboratory-verified maternal influenza infection, not just survey data or medical records. Results appear in the journal mSphere . The researchers analyzed questionnaires and blood samples from 338 mothers of children with ASD and 348 matched controls, as part of the Autism Birth Cohort Study, a prospective birth cohort in Norway. Blood samples were collected from mothers at mid-pregnancy and after delivery. Mothers also reported on their cold and flu symptoms during pregnancy. Positive blood tests for past influenza A or influenza B infection were not associated with increased ASD risk. However, when researchers combined reports of influenza-like illness with the blood test results, they found a substantial, albeit statistically insignificant, increased risk of ASD. While random error could be responsible for the finding, the authors caution against dismissing it outright due to the magnitude of the association: ch...